The Legend of Zelda: Hero's Scroll
by Noxworks
Summary: Hyrule has been peaceful for one hundred years. Link and his fellow villagers prepare a play to celebrate the great deed of the Heroes that defeated the wizard a century ago, when a mysterious woman attacks and proclaims that the evil wizard has risen again to declare war on Hyrule once more. A story made to resemble a "game" in the early parts of the Zelda timeline.
1. Chapter 1:The peaceful village of Naavis

**THE LEGEND OF ZELDA**

**H**ero's **S**croll

**Part one**

_Long ago, Hyrule was in a flourishing age of peace and life… but that peace did not last not for long. _

**Chapter one**

Right in the middle of a great land called Hyrule, close to the Great Woods in the east, there was a village called Naavis. It was a peaceful little town. Among the many peasants who usually inhabited the villages across the land, the townspeople of Naavis consisted of so many others than just farmers. There lived swordsmen, intellectuals, carpenters and many soulful youths that kept the place young and alive.  
>One of these youths was named Link. He was a kind young man who every morning got up to do his work with joy and pride, although he loved sleeping in when he got the opportunity. His rye-golden hair was often in a mess because of his constant naps.<br>The story begins on a sunny morning, when even the rooster felt that it would be better to remain silent and enjoy the great weather instead of crowing out loud. Because he wouldn't do his work, Link didn't wake up in time. He kept slumbering for hours upon hours until he accidentally got too close to the edge of his bed. When Link noticed the imbalance under his body, he slowly returned from dreamland. Opening one eye at a time, he noticed that in reality, any second now, he could and indeed _would_ hit the floor. Hard.  
>Link screamed. Thud! Groaning in pain, he hit the wooden surface. Luckily, a carpet had eased the fall… well, at least a little. This way of waking up was much too unpleasant for Link. Sigh. He blinked his eyes in annoyance and rose up from the floor, muttering to himself.<br>"Oh well", Link thought and yawned. "Might as well get up… my, the sun is up high. I must've overslept. Weird. I wonder why nobody came to wake me…"  
>He yawned again and thought that maybe his fellow villagers had given him a day off. How nice of them.<br>Link ate his breakfast and brushed his teeth. He was really tired and just felt like going back to sleep. A knock on the door prevented that. Without getting time to answer the door, a big, bulky guy with huge, orange hair stormed into the house and dunked Link in his back. It was Trinnean, Link's best friend.  
>"Hey!" he greeted. "Everyone's sleeping late today. The rooster must be sick or something, he didn't crow at all. Anyways, I came to check up on you. You know, in case you still would be asleep! When it comes to you, Link, there's nobody who can sleep as heavy as you!"<br>"So the rooster didn't crow", Link nodded, still half asleep. "I see."  
>"Still not awake, huh?" Trinnean laughed merrily before he continued:<br>"So, today is the day. We'll get the results for the play. And then we get our parts. And in due time, we're gonna perform it at Hyrule Castle Town. Hyrule. Effin'. Castle. Town!" Trinnean jumped up in the air and hit it with his knuckles. "Wooh! Man, I'm so excited. Are you excited?"  
>"I am!" Link nodded. "What time is it?"<br>"We still have half an hour before the announcement", Trinnean replied, "I'd prefer to go at once. But I bet you want to feed Nana first. Right?"  
>"Right", Link said. "You know me too well."<br>Trinnean smiled.  
>"Once an animal friend, always an animal friend. Besides, Nana means a lot to you, doesn't she? She was Archie's old donkey, after all."<br>Link nodded. Archie. That name was heard seldom these days. It was the name, or rather, the nickname of his uncle that passed away a few years ago. Not that he was Link's real uncle. Rather, he was just someone who took care of Link when he was a child. Link was really grateful for that.

He missed uncle badly. They had such a great time together when Link grew up, and he remembered every day with happiness.  
>Apparently, Link had been spacing off again, because Trinnean said:<br>"Quit daydreaming and get on with it. I want to leave." He laughed softly. He had no intentions to be mean, but Trinnean had always been such a hurry-flurry. Link jokingly punched his friend and went out to feed his uncle's old donkey. Her tiny stable was located right outside his house.  
>"Good morning, Nana" Link greeted. "I bet you're hungry?"<br>Indeed Nana was hungry! As soon as Link had given her a bucket of oats she dug into the food and ate it heartily. Link chuckled at the silly sight and patted the donkey's back, looking endearingly at her. She awakened so many good memories in him.  
>"She was the second one you saw after Archie found you, huh?" Trinnean asked. "And you were afraid of her. Well, she's got a scary face, alright", he chuckled. "I bet she could scare a little kid like you were back then. With those big buck teeth, I was scared of her too! Some donkeys bite people, you know! And they bite hard!"<br>Link nodded. He had no problems admitting that he had been scared of Nana the first time he saw her. But then again, he had been so shaken up already before, so pretty much anything could make him fear it tremendously.

Link remembered that fateful day as it was yesterday. Link had fled from his village with his parents, younger brother and… even younger sibling? He couldn't for his life recall if the baby had been a boy or a girl.  
>What he did know is that their father had given them each a pendant with animals as comfort. To protect them, he said, but when Link had asked from what, the question… had been answered, but was now so blurred out in all those messy memories that it was impossible to remember what his parents had told him.<p>

At some point, they had left him all alone in the middle of Hyrule Field, and Link had been hiding in a bush for three days. That's when uncle Archie and Nana had turned up. Link had first been afraid of them, but uncle Archie had showed him kindness and giving him food and shelter. Then he took the boy home and said that Link could stay with him until his parents came to get him.  
>However, no one ever came to get Link. His parents never turned up.<p>

Not that it mattered. He had been happily growing up with uncle Archie in his new home Naavis. As the years passed, Link had made so many good friends in the village that he never wanted to leave it, ever, even if someone wanted him to. Not even for the sake of his family, if they decided to turn up.  
>But meeting them, on the other hand, would not be too bad. Link often wished to see his family. He barely remembered anything about them. Probably, both his parents would have grown so old now, that he couldn't possibly recognize their faces even if they would be put right in front of Link.<br>Perhaps he could recognize them from the pendants, he sometimes mused. If not the others had lost theirs, that is. Link often wondered if his siblings' pendants made them feel as strong as his own made him, if they protected them as Link's bunny had.  
>The pendant really meant that much to Link. Uncle Archie used to say that the wooden bunny kind of looked like an adventurer, like he was ready to face any danger that was to come. Those words made Link always feel so happy and brave.<br>That bravery was put to the test when uncle Archie passed away a few years ago. Link grieved more than he had ever done in his whole life. Never had he felt so alone. The man had been his caretaker, after all.  
>As the years passed by, time healed the worst sorrow. Link often reminded himself, the good memories of uncle Archie would always stay with him, even if the man himself didn't.<br>"Hey! Link! Link, wake up! Hellooo?"

Link slowly returned to reality. Trinnean was waving his hands frantically in front of his friend.  
>"Man, are you daydreaming again? This is not the time for that! We need to hurry! They will start any minute now!"<br>"What?" Link stammered confused.  
>"The announcement! You know? The one for the big play? At the castle town? Gosh, you really know how to lose yourself in your dream world!"<br>"Oh, is it that late already!?" Link gasped. "Sorry. Okay, let's make a run for it!"  
>"You're hopeless", Trinnean laughed in a friendly manner. "Yes, let's go!"<br>The boys hurried to the ceremony. On their way the met and greeted many of their fellow villagers. They saw Stefan, the shopkeeper, his son Luca and both his younger sisters, Lorna and Suzette. They saw old miss Margaret, a cranky rich old woman who liked to complain about everything if she ever get a chance. They even saw Parth, who owned the stables. He rarely left the buildings, as all the cattle and livestock were housed in there, and it was his job to take care of them.  
>Pretty much everyone had gathered at the watchtower this beautiful, sunny noon. There was already a small crowd when Link and Trinnean arrived. Of course, the crowd couldn't have been much bigger; the village didn't have that many inhabitants after all. The boys felt the excitement rise together with their friends and neighbours. Trinnean was happy like a giddy little child.<br>"Alright, we're right on time!" he said. "Look, it's about to start!"  
>Up in the watchtower, stood the mayor, a scholar named Bram. Link could see that Bram must have waxed his swirly moustache and polished his glasses just before getting up there, because they looked so fresh and newly done. Now the mayor raised his hands, gazing at the people while loudly clearing his throat.<br>"May I ask for silence, please?" he shouted.  
>Everyone quieted down. All around, the people were full of excitement. Bram cleared his throat again.<br>"Thank you! Well, as all of you know, the Day of Heroes is upon us, and the celebration is going to be greater than it has ever been before! Usually we just enjoy great food in each other's company… but this year is going to be celebrated with a blast, being special as it is! It's exactly one hundred and fifty years ago since the heroes stopped the evil wizard from taking over Hyrule! Ah, how wonderful …"

Mayor Bram shed a tear. Then he cleared his throat again.  
>"How embarrassing… please, forgive me", the mayor chuckled. "Well, anyway, I scarcely need to remind you that this drama is going to be performed in order to honour the deed of the Heroes. During the day of the celebration, we will go to town and perform it for our fellow Hylians. Not only for them, the Royal Family themselves will come to watch!"<br>Everyone applauded. The mayor dried a tear of joy from the corner of his eyes and asked them to be quiet.  
>"I will tell you the results in just a short while", he announced. "But before we go on, let me tell you the story of the deed, as we always do… well, usually during the day itself, of course, but I want us to get into the mood in this, to say the least, <em>exquuuuuisite<em> moment. Take a gander at this!"  
>The mayor showed them a huge, old book. Its cover was very torn. But Link still saw it from his distance that it had to be a beautiful and expensive artefact, as there were imprinted golden decorations on it that gleamed in the sun.<br>"This is a copy of the book borrowed from the library at Hyrule Castle Town!" the mayor exclaimed happily. "It's one of the rarest and oldest books we have in our country. Ah, such an honour for them to lend it to us… And there's even more! For the performance, the Royal Family themselves lent us a pattern for a regal dress for the one who gets the princess role! And – it's almost unbelievable, but it's true – they loaned us the very same garb that the third Hero of Men wore in battle! His original clothes! _Just_ for the actor who will star as the main Hero!"  
>The mayor looked dreamingly into the sky. He seemed delirious of joy. People noticed his strange behaviour and made meaning sounds and shouted at him to pull himself together. Embarrassed, the mayor started chuckling nervously, apologizing over and over. He then cleared his throat a third time.<br>"Well, well. Hm. I will not dawdle any longer", he declared. "Now, let me tell you the story. Close your eyes and listen to the legend of how the Heroes once saved Hyrule…"


	2. Chapter 2: 100 years

**Chapter two_  
><em>**  
>Mayor Bram began to read in a slow, devotional voice:<em><br>_  
><em>Long ago, Hyrule was in a flourishing age of peace and life.<em>

All tribes, who once had vanished from the lands diminished borders, were reunited with Hyrule after hiding from the humans for far too long. After many years of being isolated in far away territories, they decided it would be wise to contact the Hylians. Much to their surprise, the Hylians turned out to be kind, and welcomed the native tribes back to the land. As Hyrule expanded, all of the people started to live in peace together…

But that peace did not last not for long.

_A wizard of horror appeared out of nowhere. He blended into the shadow tribe called the Sheikah. He settled there, becoming one of them, learning their magic, befriending them. What the Sheikah did not know of was that wizard was just biding his time. Meanwhile, he built up his power to the extreme, in order to unleash the ultimate evil._

When the wizard was powerful enough, he used his magic to brainwash and recruit the some of the most talented shadow magicians in the Sheikah as his minions. No one knows why he did it. Rumours say he wanted to take over Hyrule and become its king, in order to have things his own way.

The princess of Hyrule learned about his mischievous plans and set up troops to storm the wizard. She aided them in using the Light Force, but they could not bring the wizard down.

But there was still hope.

_The princess summoned the bravest souls in all of the land to battle the evil. Thee warriors came to aid. One of them was the boy who came to be known as the third Hero of Men. The warriors battled together and rescued the brainwashed shadow magicians. The final blow was delivered by the Hero. Using a sacred blade, he defeated the wizard and restored peace in all of Hyrule._

All ended well, and the wizard has never been seen since then.

The mayor stayed silent for a while. He was still staring at the book's pages with an excited smile after finishing the story, like if he was in a trance he never wanted to wake up from. Link and Trinnean chuckled. Throughout the crowd, they heard how many others also started giggling and soften their laughs behind their hands.  
>Soon mayor Bram noticed what he was doing. He laughed loudly and very awkwardly, shutting the book with a "bam".<br>"Excuse me", he apologized. "I just… I just got a little too carried away. Happiness occurs to all of us in different ways, after all… ha, ha, ha… well, then! Let's just go on and announce all the stars of the drama, shall we?"  
>The crowd cheered. Yes, this was what they had been waiting for, they've been waiting for this over a month now! Link could hear Trinnean whisper under his breath.<br>"Please be the hero, please be the hero, please be the hero…"  
>"Ahem", mayor Bram began. "Let's begin with the people who will star as both the parts of the rock-eating, strong Gorons and as the brave soldiers of the Hyrulean Army, then! They will be played by…"<br>He silenced. Probably only to build up the tension. Then the mayor continued:  
>"…my elder brothers, Bo and Bryn! Also, Bryn's son, my nephew Trinnean, will play these parts too, as well as one of the Hero's warriors!"<br>Everybody cheered. The mayor's older brothers were fit more than well to play both those parts. Even Trinnean, who Link knew had hoped to get the part of the third Hero of Men, seemed like he was happy getting what he was given.  
>"The Pazora, a beautiful aquatic race, will be played by the same actors assigned the roles of the Sheikah…"<p>

The mayor continued listing parts, races and names for many, many minutes. Only once did he get interrupted by a guy named Henny, who protested about being picked as playing a Kikwi only for the reason of him being really short. Bram didn't care. He was too excited to be stalled or to argue. Merrily, he went on with his assignment.

"And finally", the mayor announced after mentioning a lot of names, "let's get a name for the three main roles! Meaning, the villain, the princess, and the hero!"  
>"Oi! You forgot the other one of the Hero's warriors!" Trinnean shouted. "There's supposed to be three heroes all in all!"<br>"You're right", the mayor replied. "I'll get to that, wait for just a minute, my dear boy. Now, my brothers!" he continued in a theatrical voice. "Please, sound the drums, if you will!"  
>Bo and Bryn, the elder brothers of the mayor, were intensively pounding their instruments in a dramatic drum roll.<br>"Uncle Bram loves this too much." Trinnean shook his head with a smile. "Oh well. Better let him have fun. And now, we'll hear your name, man. I'm sure you'll get the part of the Hero! It can't be me, if I'm playing one of the warriors, you know. And starring the third Hero of Men is quite an honour!"  
>Trinnean nudged his friend and winked. Link tried to laugh it off. This whole deal didn't matter that much to him, but sure, why not. It could be fun playing the Hero, and he had actually done quite well on the audition.<p>

The mayor cleared his throat and asked everyone to be quiet.  
>"Let's call out the villain first, shall we? Well! He's going to be played by…"<br>The mayor silenced and gazed on the crowd beneath him. For many seconds, he locked eyes with Link, who was sure he was going to be called out. Starring the villain, eh. Okay, Link could do that. After all, it was only a play. It wouldn't affect his whole life.  
>But the mayor didn't utter Link's name at all.<br>"Kale!" he shouted.  
>"What!?" an angry voice was heard.<br>Everyone fell silent. Many people were frozen in strange positions, as if they were about to clap their hands, but had stopped themselves the very last second. People turned their heads to the backmost parts of the crowd.  
>There stood the boy called Kale. He was a pretty boy, who usually looked pale, especially with his unusually long and white braided hair. But now his face was red with fury. Kale was frustratingly clenching fists together, shaking and fuming with anger.<br>"What do you mean that I'll play the villain…" he said venomously. "I applied for the part of the third Hero of Men, and that is the exact part I want! Nothing else!"  
>"Umm…" the mayor said awkwardly. Apparently, he didn't know how to handle the situation, for he said: "I'm sorry, the casting's already been done. You wouldn't have been… well… not really… right as the Hero. Besides, someone needs to be the villain."<br>"But does it have to be me!?" Kale shouted.  
>"I'm sorry. Complaints won't change my mind, my boy. Everything has carefully been selected from lots of auditions, you know. You're perfect for that role!" He cleared his throat and then continued.<br>"Alright! Moving on, then…"  
>"I demand a recasting!" Kale shouted.<p>

He irrupted a lot of horrible words that made the atmosphere so uncomfortable, that Bram had his elder brothers to dispose of the annoyance. While being dragged away, Kale was still raging at the mayor. The few friends he had also departed from the crowd. One of them was Henny. They all actually looked embarrassed for his sake, but said nothing. Perhaps they knew it was better that way.  
>Mayor Bram cleared his throat yet again to call for his people's attention.<br>"Well, then", he begun, "with that little… menace out of the way, let's move on, shall we? Oh, yes. Let's carry on with… hmm… Yes! Well, we have the part of the princess, which also will consist of playing one of the Hero's sidekicks. But they are not worth less because of that, quite on the contrary, both of them were very mighty warriors as well! Well, nevertheless… the warriors, I said, correct? Starring… oh, Bryn, Bo, get back here. Good. Now, drum roll, please…"  
>Trinnean rolled his eyes and whispered impatiently that Bram was just wasting their time, come on, get on with it. There were not many girls left to choose from, and everyone kind of knew who it was going to be already.<br>But the mayor didn't care. He looked around excitedly in the crowd, as he was looking for the one he was about to name. Finally, he seemed to find her, because Bram finally opened his mouth and revealed the name.  
>"The princess is… my own… little niece! Livia!"<br>A loud cheer broke out, in spite of everyone knowing that this was the outcome of things. Livia was quite a popular girl in the village. Small and cute with flaming hair always tied in a little ponytail that hang around her neck, dressed in a wide dress and an apron that made her look like if she was from a fairytale. Livia was sweet, kind, and always friendly to everyone, and also the little sister of Trinnean, who protected her very well from everything, especially those who laid their eyes on her.  
>Said brother now cheered from the top of his lungs.<br>"You go, sis!" he shouted. "I'm proud of you!"  
>"Come up on the side-built pillar now, dear", the mayor said, and waved his hands to calm down the wild crowd. "Trinnean, join her, if you will. Good. Silence, please, everyone. Good. Very good. Now, the next name then… the last one, the third Hero of Men himself… he can play a soldier if he wishes as well, but the honour still remains. He is…"<br>Bram silenced. Link looked at Trinnean's face. They both knew.  
>"Link!"<p>

Link's name echoed over the treetops as the crowd, for the last time, broke out into applause.  
>"Come up here on the other pillar, dear boy, and show yourself to the villagers!" Bram shouted. "Come, come!"<br>Link was pushed forward by all the people around him, all the way to the ladder of the empty pillar. He climbed it, and then he just stood around there, waving at the people. He smiled. Everyone looked so happy. Well, everyone present at least. Link didn't know how Kale or Henny felt right now. Both must be plotting their revenge at home, he mused as he kept on waving until his arms started to feel limp.  
>"One more thing", Bram exclaimed. "Although he could not be with us today, due to urgent, important business, Master Gabriel is going to join us and help us out with the play in many ways. The first rehearsal will start tomorrow afternoon. You should start working on your costumes immediately, as we don't have much time until the Day of the Heroes. There are only two weeks left! But for now", the mayor said, with the voice of the true politician that he was, "you may dismiss!"<br>Under much babbling, everyone left the place in glee. Many commented on mayor Bram's silly behaviour, but not too much, as they were kind of used to it, and had other things to care about more than him. It was long past noon, and everyone had work to deal with in some way or another.  
>"Now, my dears", the mayor declared to the ones left beside him. "I have things to go check up on. Livia, Trinnean, I'll see the two of you later this evening. Link, be sure to pick up the Hero's garb from Master Gabriel's house later, because, you see, he's guarding it… but don't tell that to anyone! Promise me, my boy! So, for now… Ta-tah!"<br>Mayor Bram climbed down the watchtower. The youths followed him to the ground.  
>"Congratulations on getting picked for the hero part!" Livia greeted Link as they slid down the ladders. "I'm sure you'll make a fine knight."<br>"Thanks, and congratulations to you too", Link smiled back.  
>"Oi!" Trinnean shouted. "Don't be such slowpokes! We all have stuff to do! Link, we need to go plough the fields. You know, to sort out the spring weeds, as we should be doing, right <em>now<em>! Come on. We haven't got all day!"  
>Link laughed. He smiled and waved Livia goodbye. Trinnean slid down the ladder elegantly and walked up to Link with a troubled look on his face.<br>"You're not crushing on my sister, are you?" asked Trinnean, not for the first time.  
>"Come on, man", Link laughed. "She's nice, but no. Not in a thousand years!"<br>"Alright. Good", Trinnean said, but it looked like he wasn't too sure about Link's words. But Link didn't take any offense. He knew that Trinnean was overprotective of his little sister.  
>The boys walked to the stables, getting the horses ready for a hard day's work. They prepared two mares, Tooh and Epona, to pull the ploughs. Meanwhile they discussed the strange behaviour of Kale and Henny.<br>"They're just jealous", Trinnean mused gleefully. "It would be just like them. Maybe they'll try to ruin the play as revenge. Wouldn't surprise me. But it's no big deal! After all, that old sour miss Margaret won't be coming with us anywhere. That's a huge relief!"  
>"How do you know that?" Link asked.<br>"Because she didn't get a part in the play." Trinnean grinned. "That old woman gives me the creeps. Anyway, the horses ready", he added joyfully and patted Tooh's back. "Let's go!"

The friends worked hard until sunset. A few crows had been trying to dig up worms from the freshly ploughed ground, so Link had to scare them by rustling the scarecrows once in a while. But they got all the work done.  
>Trinnean went home early to start preparing his Goron mask and soldier's armour, asking Link to take the horses back to the stables. Gladly, Link had replied. He'd do anything for a friend. Besides, Link liked walking in the village when it was at its calmest. It always felt so nostalgic, somehow.<br>While the sun was sinking beyond the horizon, Link was calmly leading Tooh and Epona back to the stables. There their caretaker, the tall and fashionable farmer Parth, waited for their return.

"Evening, Link!" he greeted. "Did the horses do their work well today?"  
>"Oh yes!" Link nodded and patted Epona. "We got all the fields done. These strong ladies deserve a good night's rest tonight!"<br>"Good, good! Then we can sow tomorrow."  
>Parth took Epona's and Tooh's reins.<br>"By the by", he said, "it was quite a while back you rode Epona properly, right? What about you take her for a little stroll tomorrow out on the plains? She likes you. And she's probably much easier and nicer to ride than that old donkey of yours!"  
>A bit embarrassed, Link did have admit that he liked riding a horse more than a donkey, and that he enjoyed Epona's company more than he enjoyed Nana's.<br>"She's not as stubborn or cranky and is a very gentle mare", he praised. "Besides, Nana's old. She can't even walk on her own for too long. But yeah, sure, I'd love to take Epona for a ride. It'd be my pleasure!"  
>"Great!" Parth exclaimed. "Dang, she really looks tired, as you said. And you too, Tooh!" Parth laughed. "They really do look like they need a good night's rest. I'd better start preparing them for the night. You go home and rest, too, hero!"<br>Parth laughed jokingly after that last word. He turned around and waved off Link, wishing him a good night. Link returned the kind gesture and went back to the village. He didn't go straight home, though. First he swung by Trinnean's house, like he sometimes did in the evening.

The house was full. It wasn't a surprise, it usually was that way. All of the family members had gathered in the living room. There was Serena, the red-haired feisty wife of the muscular carpenter Bryn. His older brother Bo, a rough adventurer and swordsman living next-door, was sitting on the floor and was trying to make mask. Apparently it wasn't going too well. Bo was swearing under his breath. Trinnean, who was Bryn's and Serena's son, looked up from his uncle's doings when the door opened.  
>"Link, man, hey! Come in, come in", Trinnean said to his friend, "but watch the mess. Uncle Bo is great with a weapon in hand. But carving stuff… well, he ain't so great at that."<br>"Shut yer mouth", Bo said sourly. "I want to get this Goron mask perfect."  
>"Me and dad, we already made ours", Trinnean said proudly. "All that's left are the soldier armours… we'll probably make fake ones from wood. Or something. Real armour is heavy and hard to put on. Oh, and mom's been working all day on Livia's princess dress. She's been working really hard, you know! Almost done and all."<br>"My little baby girl is gonna be so beautiful", Bryn said, oozing with pride. "And Trinnean and I will be the mightiest Gorons of all time. This whole thing is going to be such a success!"  
>"You bet, dad!" Trinnean agreed and put one arm around his father. They raised their fists and bumped them, high up in the air, while screaming "yeah!"<br>The wife and mother of the family, Serena, sighed impatiently.  
>"Can't you two be quiet? Wind down before bed! It wouldn't hurt once in a while, you know. Oh, hello, Link", she added upon locking eyes with him. "I'm sorry, you're a little too late for dinner today. But join us tomorrow, I'd love to have you taste a few of my new recipes. If you don't mind, that is."<br>"Not at all", Link said cheerfully. "I love your food! It's really tasty."  
>"Why, aren't you the kindest", Serena smiled. "Now, give me an opinion on something else."<br>She turned to the kitchen door and shouted.  
>"Okay, Livia! Come out!"<br>"But mom…"  
>"Come on, now. Sweetie, if anything's wrong, I'll fix it."<br>"Okay…"  
>Out from the kitchen, Livia appeared.<br>And she looked astonishing.

Her shoulder plates rustled when she fidgeted. The apron was embroidered with such detail and the dress reached the ground, covering her feet like a real regal gown should. Livia had never been prettier.  
>Shyly, she looked up at her family members and the guest, who Livia apparently had no idea of being here.<br>"Oh, hi. I had no idea that you were here, Link" she said.

"Livia, you look perfect", Bryn said. "My little angel."  
>"She's not quite ready yet", Serena pointed out and went up to her daughter, ready with needle and thread. "I'll just tighten this place… and this place…"<br>She took needles from the pin cushion on her arm and started pinning them here and there on the dress, all while Livia awkwardly stood about and waited for her mother to finish. The males in the room turned to talking about the Goron masks again. Trinnean showed his and his father's.  
>"Well done", admired Link. "I've never seen a Goron, but I like the masks."<br>"Them masks really do look like them", Bo said. "In me adventurous youth, I met many of them. And what a tribe! They know so much, they're strong and they know what they do! Ack, if only I could get my mask done, too… argh!"  
>"Don't worry, big brother, you'll get it in time", Bryn laughed. "See, sometimes being a carpenter pays off. Instead of being, you know, an adventures swordsman who criss-crosses the world."<br>"Oi brother, so did Archie, but he was handy", Bo muttered. "O, sorry, lad" he added when Link looked a bit uncomfortable.  
>"It's alright", he was about to said, but before he could even open his mouth, the front door opened. Someone was speaking loudly to themselves.<br>"By the goddesses, what a mess!" the voice said. It was mayor Bram. "Bo, remember to clean all that sawdust before you go. Oh, and Livia! Li-vi-_ah_!"  
>With a big grin, the mayor walked to his niece in ecstasy, touching the fabric of the dress and making silly noises.<p>

"How beautiful you look! And this textile! So wonderfully soft… and pretty, as well… goodness, the Royal Family is going to like this! Perhaps they will acknowledge our village even more now, and perhaps I will be invited over to discuss politics with them, and…"  
>Bryn gave his younger brother a very stern look.<br>"Bram, calm yourself down. You're getting carried away again."  
>"Ah..." the mayor stuttered. "I'm sorry, you're right about that… ha, ha, ha."<p>

He chuckled nervously and finally noticed that Link was in the room, too.  
>"Link! Hello! I didn't see you, I apologize. But… what are you doing here so late? Don't you need to rest after a hard days work? Have you picked up the Hero's garb yet?"<br>"No, I haven't had the time for that yet", Link said. "I figured I could do that tomorrow, as I don't need to work on any costume."  
>"Oh heavens!" Bram exclaimed. "You really have no idea why Master Gabriel was absent today, do you? Well! He was guarding the garb! The <em>garb<em>! It's so valuable and precious, we couldn't just leave it all on its own, now, could we? You need to hurry and pick it up, it's getting late! Master Gabriel is an old man and he needs his sleep. Now, off you go!"  
>As the mayor was talking, he had been pushing Link towards the front door. He spoke so loud and fast that he might done it on purpose, not to let another one have a single saying in the matter, whether this business really was urgent or not, for example. Not that it mattered too much. Link got the message.<p>

The mayor talked about how important all of this was not only to the village, but also for him personally, and it was better that Link left now, so he could inspect the masks that Bryn and Trinnean made, that, by the way, looked so glorious at first glance, but you'll never know, and that dress needed to be checked properly too, and…  
>"I get it, I get it!" Link shouted. "I'll go!"<br>He shook his head, pushed away the mayor and bid everyone farewell. He made sure to smile extra widely at Livia, who seemed very uncomfortable in this whole ruckus. She was such a shy person and didn't like loud noises or argues. Link gave Trinnean a look that said "good luck with Bram", and then left.  
>He walked away smiling. Surely Trinnean would complain about his obsessed uncle in the morning, but secretly, he was having as much fun as the mayor with this whole thing. As did all of them. And now Link was about to pick up a real treasure. He looked forward to that.<br>Merry as he was, Link just walked on towards Master Gabriel's cottage, not noticing the cloaked shadow that followed him on the trail.


	3. Chapter 3: The garb is stolen!

**Chapter three**

The shadow followed Link as the boy went on completely unaware of its presence. Link was, namely, busy with his own thought.  
>What an evening! And it wasn't about to end just yet, either. The sun was almost fully set, and the darkness came creeping behind the trees of the Great Woods in the east. It was so beautiful. Like a burning phoenix and a dark, giant crow in perfect symbiosis, controlling the sky. Link had heard a story about giant, god-like birds when he was a child, but he couldn't remember much about them. Not that it mattered. But Master Gabriel had been a fantastic storyteller, almost as good as mayor Bram.<br>Link liked Master Gabriel. He was a nice old man, who would talk about interesting things in a very substantial manner. He was always so calm. His hair was long and white, following the lines of his torn robe that he always wore with pride. That robe was a sign of his profession.  
>Master Gabriel was the local wizard. That involved him putting up protective and helpful spells for the villagers, so the wolves or foxes didn't steal any cuckoos at night. Master Gabriel also often helped the others to grow pumpkins and cabbages so large and tasty. He did his work always with the same, calm joy that gratified all of Naavis. There was not a single soul in the village that disliked Master Gabriel. Or at least not what Link knew of.<br>The old mage lived alone in a little round brick house, very close to the forest. Light was seeping out the windows. That meant that Master Gabriel still was awake. Hopefully he wasn't too tired, Link thought and knocked on the door.  
>"Master Gabriel!" he called out loud.<br>At first, no one answered. Link knocked again.  
>"Um, hello?"<br>"Who is it?" the old mage shouted.  
>"It's Link", replied Link. "Please sir, open up."<br>The door slowly opened. It creaked and stopped soon, leaving only a slim gap open. One single eye peeked out from there.  
>"Oh, so it <em>is<em> you", Master Gabriel's deep voice stated. "Do come in."  
>He opened the door widely and let his guest inside. Without saying another word, Master Gabriel shut the door tight. Then he opened a chest from which he retrieved a package, handed it to Link and told him to be very careful with it.<br>"There are some who want this badly", the wizard warned. "Take care of it."  
>"O… kay", Link said and looked at the package in his hands. It was huge. "Thanks for the warning", he added while examining it. "So this is the Hero's garb…"<br>"Indeed. It's an ancient piece of clothing that was worn by the third Hero of Men a century and a half ago, when he was one of the mightiest warriors of all time. The whole garment is a true relic. And a magically loaded one, at that. I controlled it myself this very afternoon. Be very careful with it. The Royal Family would like it back in the condition it was sent to us in, if possible."  
>"I will", Link promised. "Well, good night, then."<br>"Good night, young Link", replied Master Gabriel and showed him to the door. "Sleep well."  
>"You too."<br>Master Gabriel smiled tiredly.  
>"Oh, I most certainly will, after today."<br>Link nodded insecurely and shut the door tight behind him. As he left he saw how the lights went out inside Master Gabriel's house. 

Outside, the moon was climbing up the sky and shone softly on the ground beneath. It looked so peaceful and happy. Like if it was almost smiling. Link wandered home in the moonlight, humming merrily. Today had been a good day.  
>Happily was he still unaware of the shadow trailing him. Behind houses and trees, the shadow kept tracing his path all the way home.<p>

A few times, Link thought he heard something somewhere behind him. But every time he turned his head to check up on things, nothing could be seen. The shadow was really good at hiding itself, and Link didn't notice a thing, no matter how he tried to look for anything moving in the dark.  
>"Oh well. Maybe I'm just tired", he thought to himself. "It's been a long, exciting day and Master Gabriel's words maybe influenced my imagination a little too much."<br>Link shrugged and went to Nana to give her one last meal before bedtime, and then he went to bed himself. The package he put on a table.  
>"I'll take a look at that tomorrow", he thought and yawned like a lion. Without even taking off his shoes, he threw himself in bed. After a few minutes Link was fast asleep.<br>But outside someone else was awake. The shadow which had followed him on his way home opened the window and snuck in soundlessly. Careful not to wake up Link, the shadow approached him and looked at him with grim eyes that gleamed in the moonlight.  
>The shadow glared at Link for quite a long while. The young man seemed to have drifted off into really good dreams pretty fast. He was laughing and rolling around, uttering stupid, happy sounds for himself. How silly. The shadow had no time to watch this.<br>He nabbed what he was after and then left. Just as silently as he came he disappeared, and Link didn't notice a thing. He kept dreaming about riding Epona on a grassy, flowery summer field that, for some reason, was located on the moon…  
>Cockadoodledoo! The rooster had apparently no reason to be lazy today. He was back in business and was going to wake up everyone in the village, even if it happened to be the last thing he was going to do. Even Link heard him, loud and clear. Too loud and clear. In his rosy and wonderful dreams, Link was just about to jump with Epona over a fallen tree. But when the rooster crowed, Link woke up immediately almost fell out of his bed.<p>

Almost.  
>"Haha!" he laughed triumphantly and got up from bed. He yawned, stretched and felt overall pretty good this morning.<br>"Alright. Time to meet another day. But first…"  
>Link felt excited. He wanted to try on the clothes at least once before the rehearsal started, just for fun. It hadn't hit him yesterday. Now he realized what an honour it truly was to be picked as starring the hero.<br>Suddenly, he froze. His eyes were glued at the table where he was sure he left the package last night. It wasn't there.  
>Frantically, he began searching all over the house. Maybe he'd been putting it somewhere else? After all, he was really tired last night. No, that couldn't be possible! He was so sure of placing the package on the table. Oh, goodness. Link was really going to be in trouble now, especially if he didn't turn up wearing the garb for the afternoon rehearsal… What should he do?<br>Telling the mayor or Master Gabriel, or anyone else for that matter, would make them go mad. No, Link couldn't tell anyone. Not yet. He needed to try to figure all this out on his own first.

To get some peace of mind, Link sat calmly down to think while he ate his breakfast. Many thoughts crossed his mind until one particular one seemed very coherent.  
>"Wait a minute", Link thought. "Master Gabriel said someone wanted to steal it. How could I ever forget it? That's what must've happened. But who could've done such a thing?"<br>Then he recalled who had been the most bitter about not getting the part of the third Hero of Men in the play.

Kale. It must've been he who stole the package while Link was asleep!  
>"Bingo", Link said out loud to himself. "I've got you now."<br>But Link had no time to talk to Kale right away. First, he had to feed Nana, and then work awaited him. Today, they could finally sow! That meant that they had a lot of things to do today. Seeds, potatoes, bulbs, so many things had to be buried into the earth and root before they could grow into big, healthy, tasty plants. Stuff they could eat, Link thought happily, thinking of Serena's great pumpkin pie as he wandered off to work.

Link had kind of expected Kale to be present during the sowing. But the boy was nowhere to be seen. Had he eloped with the garb to somewhere? Link hoped not. If so, he was going to be in even more trouble.  
>A few hours passed, and Link kept losing his concentration while feeling more and more miserable for every second that went by. That's when he decided to try enjoying his work for a while instead. It was no use to worry too much.<p>

Link put on a huge grin, straightened his back and talked to a lot to the people around him for the rest of the morning while working his butt off. It worked. Link's mood really improved. He had almost forgotten about the whole incident when Trinnean said it was time for a break.  
>"Good work, man!" he praised his friend. "Well, it's noon. Let's go eat lunch! Mom made me some pumpkin pie to share with you!"<p>

"Mm. It's delicious! Serena always makes the best pies in the world!"  
>"Thanks! I'll tell mom that. But, heh, you know, by now she probably knows it already. You compliment her too often, man!"<br>"With reason!" Link laughed and took another bite.  
>They sat in silence for a while before Trinnean asked:<br>"Hey, man… You didn't look so hot earlier today. Is something up? Do you want to talk about it?"  
>Link sighed. He hadn't planned on telling anyone. Of course Trinnean had noticed it. He knew Link the best. Probably, he wouldn't judge him for what's happened, either, and maybe he even could help out in one way or another. Therefore, Link decided to tell Trinnean about how he lost the Hero's garment.<p>

"You did WHAT!?" Trinnean blurted out when Link had finished his story. He gaped like a fish and almost dropped the fork he was holding in his hand.  
>"Link, that's <em>majorly<em> bad", he continued. "I mean, uncle Bram's gonna be mad at you, and Master Gabriel, and…"  
>"I know, I know!" Link sighed in frustration. "I don't know what to do…"<br>"So you think someone took it?" Trinnean asked, trying to calm himself down. "Yes, why not. Do you think it's Kale?"  
>"It must be", Link said. "Who else could it be?"<br>"Hey, stupids."  
>Link and Trinnean cringed. Then they turned around and saw…<br>"What up", Kale said. "I heard you were talking about me, and I want to give you some shocking news; it wasn't me." He leaned against the boys and put his elbows on each of their shoulders while softly and triumphantly laughing: "I'm innocent."  
>"Oh yeah!?" Trinnean countered. "I don't believe you. Prove it!"<br>"Actually, he has proof", a sweet voice said.  
>It was Lorna. She walked up to them, smiling as she always did. Lorna was just as cute and sweet as Livia, so it was a surprise that she had started dating Kale a while back. She was just as fashionable as her boyfriend and had a face with small, pretty eyes and a cute little button nose.<br>"We were camping under the starry sky yesterday night. Right over there", she pointed. "He's spent all that time with me, and we never really fell asleep, so I can give you my word that Kale is indeed innocent. So you see… it can't be him."  
>"Wait. You mean that you've listened to the whole story from behind that hill?" Trinnean looked like a big, sad bear as he drooped his shoulders.<p>

"Yeah… pretty much", Lorna excused. "Sorry."  
>"It's okay…" Link murmured. "Then we know that. Thank you."<br>"Heck yeah, suckers!" Kale laughed. He danced around while wrapping his arms around Lorna, walking away. "See you at the rehearsal, stupids!"  
>"Honey…" Lorna looked crossly at her boyfriend, but said nothing more. The two of them went to the village. Trinnean and Link looked after them until they disappeared into the shop house, in which they both lived in together with Lorna's family. So Kale was not their man.<br>But who else could it be, then?_  
><em>"Do you really believe that he's innocent?" Link asked his friend.  
>"I don't know, man", Trinnean sighed and threw himself on the grass. "If Lorna's got his back covered, he must be. I mean, even if she's dating a jerk, it's not like she's one. Lorna's too honest. He must be innocent. There's no other choice."<br>"Yeah, you're right…" Link sighed too and lied down beside his friend. Both just lied there, coexisting in silence with each other for a while. While Trinnean was gazing at the clouds, Link just stared at the sky, not being able to enjoy the moment.  
>"Hey", Trinnean said after a long while, "do you know what? I have an idea. You know how Kale wasn't the only one that was unhappy with the casting?"<br>"Yeah?" Link wondered, but he still felt kind of doubtful where this was going.  
>"I'm just thinking… maybe Henny took it", said Trinnean. "It could be a possibility."<br>"It… actually could."  
>Link sat up. He suddenly felt so inspired and relieved. So Henny took it. Yes! It made so much sense! Perfect. Now all Link needed to do was to go and confront him right after lunch. After all, he had only two hours left before the rehearsal started. <p>

"Man, Henny's gonna have it, isn't he?" Trinnean snickered. "When uncle Bram finds out, he'll be in some real trouble!"  
>The friends joked and laughed, not noticing the dark clouds that had gathered above their heads. From the edge of the clouds, two pairs of eyes regarded them, discussing.<br>"Do you think one of those is the one?"  
>"I believe so."<br>"But which one?"  
>"We will have to stick around and find that out."<p> 


	4. Chapter 4: Evil appears

**Chapter four**

The bad weather continued, blocking out the sun ever so lightly, but neither Trinnean nor Link took much notice of it. After all, it was a hot day and the sun was shining too strong, so they only welcome the slight chill and clouds with relief. Trinnean merrily pointed out that now they didn't have to sweat too much in their costumes.  
>When the last crumble of the pumpkin pie was eaten, Link went straight to Henny's house. Henny lived with his aunt. The rich, mean old, mean miss Margaret.<p>

Since both lived on a super big heritage, none of them had to do any work. Henny sometimes only helped a bit now and then with things, since he was young and strong, but Margaret always refused to lift the teensiest finger for her fellow villagers. Well, people understood why. She was an old woman. But she didn't need to be so mean to everyone, as she was always shouting and insulting the people around her. Although they didn't like her behaviour, many still respected her for being a… well, human being. She was one, after all. And therefore, she deserved at least some courtesy.

Link felt that way too. Therefore, he courteously went to the front door to knock. He knocked three times. Only seconds later, someone opened the door and shouted:  
>"You're not welcome here! Scram!"<br>And then shut it tight right before Link's nose. Miss Margaret had spoken. Sighing, Link realized that trying to be polite about things was not going to help. If Henny had indeed stolen the garment, Link would have to get it back another way. But how? It had to be in the inside, safe and guarded, as long as miss Margaret was there. And she almost never left her beloved home.  
>Link took a few steps back and watched the little building. It was pretty, with a clay foundation patterned with arranged rocks, wooden walls painted in a dark shade of red, and the house had a shiny, pointy roof, and a… ledge. Would you look at that! Maybe Link could use it somehow to get inside.<br>He sneaked around the house, hoping that no one would see him. Sure, the ledge led to the railing around the balcony. It was possible to get there that way. But how would he get up on the ledge? To run home and get a ladder would be impossible, and, it would be highly suspicious, especially if someone found it just standing around. Link looked around and wondered what he could do.  
>A few boxes nearby gave him an idea. He pushed them close to the house and climbed up on them. Then, he climbed up on the ledge and sidled alongside it, very slowly, because Link wanted to be careful in case he'd fall. It probably wouldn't hurt, but still. As sooner he could get this done, the better.<br>Link followed the ledge to the very end of it at the balcony railing. There, he dropped down on the wooden floor.  
>"Made it!" he thought as he opened the door and went inside, hoping that no one would be there to notice him.<br>He was in luck. The room Link entered was empty. Although… the room right next to this didn't seem like it. Link was sure he heard someone snoring in there. It could be miss Margaret. Link almost hoped that, because if she was asleep, it would be easier to snoop around. Hopefully Henny was sleeping too. Or out. Then Link could pretty much rummage through the whole house.  
>He sneaked out to the main room, and then, quickly, went through the door where the snores came from. The first thing Link noticed was that it wasn't miss Margaret who was asleep.<br>It was Henny. His snoring was so loud it could've shaken the whole house – well, it was still shaking the bed that he was lying in, which by the way was really big. Link had to muffle a giggle upon the silly sight. Little Henny, on that very big and broad bed!  
>No, that had to wait until later. Right now Link had something else to do. Namely to look for the Hero's garb… so where could it be?<br>Link looked everywhere. Behind the bookshelf, in the bookshelf, under a table, under the carpet, under pillows, and Link even dared to look under the bed. Henny didn't even notice when Link came close. Trinnean was wrong. There actually was someone who was as good as sleeping as Link was!  
>But that wasn't that funny right now. Link still hadn't found any clue about the garment. Maybe it was in the closet?<br>He sneaked there and opened its doors. They creaked. Link scanned through the shelves of the closet, and there, there it was! The package, he had found it! Triumphantly he picked it up. Now he just had to sneak out of there…  
>… but wait. Maybe Link could pull a little prank on Henny, as revenge? Yes. That was a great idea! Carefully, Link opened the package and took the garb out. It was green, lean and smelt horribly. Well, he could examine it more later, right now Link had to pick out something to put into the package. He looked through the bottom-most shelves of the closet and skimmed all the weird clothes that he's never seen Henny wearing before. There was so many silly outfits! Probably, all of them were miss Margaret's idea of fashion.<br>Link had no problem choosing one of them and wrapping it up the same way the Hero's clothes had been packaged. Henny was still asleep during all this time. Success, Link thought as he was sneaking out the room, feeling very victorious about the whole thing.  
>He should've been more careful. As soon as he closed the door and snuck around the corner, he bumped into someone. Hard.<br>It was miss Margaret. Link panicked as she laid her eyes upon him. He had dropped all that he was carrying and he was sure that she thought that he had stolen them.  
>"You", miss Margaret burst out. "YOU!"<br>She grabbed him by the collar. Although her age, the woman still seemed to have a lot of strength left. She then proceeded to drag him out of her house, while cursing him for being such a menace. With tremendous power, she threw him out of the door-hole.  
>"And stay out!" she shouted, slamming the door tight behind her.<br>Link was happy to be outside, sure. But not without the Hero's garb. Luckily for him, miss Margaret didn't realize what the stuff Link had been carrying exactly was. Seconds later, she opened a window and threw all of it out, aiming at Link. One boot actually hit the back of his head.  
>"You and your dirty laundry have nothing to do in my beloved home!" she shouted and threw all the pieces out on the yard. Then she proceeded to shut the window just as loudly as before.<br>Confusedly, Link looked at the old woman, who sourly stared out the window, snorted, and went away.  
>"What was that", Link thought to himself. "Oh well. I'm in luck, everything seems to be here… I better get out of here and put it on."<p>

Link went home with all the clothes and immediately changed. They smelt a bit weird. Probably it was because of the dust and naphthalene it's been covered in all these years. Nothing to do about it. Link still felt it was an honour to wear the whole thing. Green, huh. He kind of looked good in it, he thought merrily and left for the rehearsal. He was right on time.  
>At the watchtower, Bo and Bryn were building a stage. Bo was having trouble with hammer and nails, as usual, but he still tried hard to do his best, so he could impress his little brother. Everyone was merrily preparing for the play. Except… something was weird. Trinnean would always be on time. But not right now.<p>

"Oh, Link!" the mayor exclaimed. "The star of the show… well, one of them, at least! Finally, one of you has the decency to show up! Everyone else is here already. Well, everyone but Trinnean and Livia. Honestly, those children are really late… where are they!? They know that this play means a lot to me. I want to get it peeeeeeerrrr-feeeeect!"  
>"Hey, don't you nitpick on my kids!" Bryn said warningly. "They're helping their mother with the laundry, as they couldn't do that yesterday night. Besides, you told them it would be okay to do help her out before coming here, you said. So don't you dare bad-mouth them, little brother!"<br>"I did?" the mayor shouted. "I'm sorry, I forgot about that. And I didn't mean to sound so harsh. But we're on a tight schedule here… and they know what this means to me… Ah, my, where did I lose that manuscript… oh dear…"  
>Mayor Bram disappeared somewhere to look for the manuscript. Or that's what he seemed to be doing, at least. Oh well, that wasn't not Link's problem. While waiting for everything to start, he walked around talking to all the people present. Even Parth was there, with both Tooh and Epona ready for the big rehearsal.<br>"Hello there", Link said. "I didn't know we had to have horses in the play, too."  
>"I thought it would look neat to have both you and Trinnean riding in like knights of the hour", Parth explained, "and Livia sitting on the same horse as one of you boys. Wouldn't that look nice?"<br>"Sure", Link said, "Very cool!"  
>"Great", Parth said. "Oh, and by the by, you look really awesome, Link."<br>"Thanks", Link smiled and carried on.  
>Many other than Parth complimented on Link's new outfit, too. Sure, some of them complained about the smell, but it didn't matter. Link was wearing a relic, and he looked very handsome in it. Everyone said that they sure could up with the smell if he just wore it during the rehearsals. Perhaps the smell would wear out if he pegged it somewhere outside on a really windy day? Shopkeeper Luca's old dad, Stefan, said it worked when all his kids had been small and their clothes smelt dirty. Link thanked him for the advice. He would try at once after the day was done!<br>"You don't actually look half bad in that", someone said behind Link with a barely noticeable hint of irony in their voice.  
>Link turned around. It was Henny, dressed as a… cute and round little Kikwi. He kind of looked like a potato, being brown and round and sprouty and all that. Link could barely contain is laughter.<br>"You…" he began, but didn't want to hurt the poor guy's feelings.  
>"Just say it." Henny looked cross behind his Kikwi mask. "I look silly, right? Why do you think I stole those Hero clothes in the first place?"<br>Link couldn't help it anymore. He burst into laughter, and after a while he had a really hard time breathing. It was just too ridiculous! Luca's and Lorna's little sister, Suzette, just looked cute as a Kikwi, but Henny just couldn't pull it off.  
>"Cut it out already", Henny snarled. "I know, I know. But guess what? Someone else is going to look even worse than I am."<br>"What do you mean?" Link asked, but Henny didn't have the time to answer before a loud voice was heard from atop of the hill.  
>"Laaaadieeees and gentlemeeeen!"<em><br>_  
>Up on the hill, wrapped in a giant, black cape, someone was standing. It was Kale. He now gazed at the people below, happy with finally have gotten their attention.<br>"You've waited for a hero…" he begun dramatically, "and a hero you will get. Yes indeed! Prepare yourselves for the great, awesome and powerful… ME!"  
>With a theatrical move, he swiped off the cape and revealed… the same silly outfit that Link had picked out earlier at Henny's house. The wide striped, green pyjamas with giant, fluffy trims, puff sleeves, cute yellow little buttons and a silly belt.<br>Immediately, everyone burst out into a whole-hearted laughter.  
>"Why is everyone laughing!?" Kale shouted angrily. "I'm wearing the sacred garb of the third Hero of Men! Geez. I admit it's cuter than expected, but it's no laughable matter! It's a relic, you hear? A <em>relic<em>!"  
>But no one stopped laughing. Kale was fuming with rage as the laughter escalated, but some quietened down upon seeing his angry face.<br>"Let me explain", Henny said when the worst noise had settled. His eyes were full of tears after laughing too hard. "When you just turned up at my place like that, demanding to have the outfit for your own, I happily gave it to you. Do you know why? Link here had already swapped the garb to my aunt's old pyjamas. Of course I recognized it. I'm no fool. So… long story short…"  
>Henny gesticulated at Link.<br>"This is the real Hero's garment."  
>"Hi, Kale", Link said and waved his hand, still trying not to laugh. Kale did look a lot sillier than Henny, there was no doubt about that. He also looked angrier. A lot, lot angrier.<br>"Y-you…" Kale stammered, his face turning redder and redder for every second that passed. "Y-y-y-y-you…!"  
>All of sudden, he just ran up to Henny and grabbed him by the collar. With a tremendous power, he started shaking the poor little guy furiously.<br>"You little rascal! You unfaithful, traitorous little bug! I'll… I'll….!"  
>"Oh, stop that!"<br>Lorna had pushed away her boyfriend from the poor, shaken Henny. Now she was giving Kale angry looks and she didn't really seem to enjoy doing it.  
>"Just let it be. You got what you deserved. You both did, for being such meanies. Now suck it up, go change and come back here."<br>"But, sweetheart…" Kale begun.  
>"No buts. Please. I won't tolerate such behaviour. Go change. I left your costume on your bed."<br>"But—"  
>"No."<br>Kale sighed.  
>"Okay, sweetie… I'll go."<br>He let out another heavy sigh and loosened his grip of Henny's collar. Henny, who have had a hard time talking and breathing under restraint, gasped for air and threw himself on the ground, happy to be alive.  
>"Oh, and don't forget!" Lorna shouted after her boyfriend. "You've got a training session for the fighting scene coming up. Link, have you practiced?"<br>"What… fighting scene?" Link sputtered confusedly. "I'm going to do that?"  
>Link gave her a surprised look. He didn't know that he had to be violent during the acting.<br>"Yes. You will fight against Kale. Well, it's staged, but a part of the manuscript", told Master Gabriel, as he appeared from somewhere behind. "According to the legend, the Hero of Men and the villain had a sword battle one on one sometime during the oppression. Do you remember the part of the Sacred Blade?"  
>Link nodded.<br>"Great. Then you know why", Master Gabriel said wisely.  
>"Ahem", the mayor injected, "for that, my dear brother lent out some of his wooden swords. I know that you're good with wrestling and fighting and such things, but it wouldn't hurt to practice a little more with Bo before you face Kale."<br>"I guess not", Link agreed. "Sure. I'll have a go with Bo before practicing with Kale. I guess I'm going to have to both anyway."  
>"Oh, you will, you most certainly will!" replied Bram in excitement. "That reminds me… give me a second. Ah, I found it! Yes! Here you go, my dear boy!"<br>The mayor handed Link a wooden sword.  
>"Are ye ready, lad?" Bo said. He was also armed with a wooden sword. "You get three tries to defeat me. Come at me!"<p>

The battle started. Link, who had trained with Bo earlier a bit now and then, charged at him, trying to stab the big old man. But Bo was quick enough to evade the attack.  
>"Better luck next time!" he shouted and jumped around. "Ye can't catch me!"<br>"Oh yes, I can", Link thought and cut vertically in the air. He hit Bo's back.  
>"Ack!" this one blurted out. "Not bad. How's this, then!?"<br>He swung his sword upwards.  
>"Point yer sword skyward!" he said, "and show yer might!"<br>Link obeyed and then they ran towards each other. With fierce in their eyes, Link… suddenly fell to the ground.  
>"Poke", Bo said and trusted his sword in the ground. "I win this round. Fancy another go?"<br>"Sure", replied Link and got up.  
>They practiced, and Bo taught Link some new moves, like a spinning attack, and how Link could improve the power in his attacks by swinging from a certain angle.<br>"There", Bo finally said, "now you can try to face Kale. He's mighty good at this, he is", he admitted, "strangely enough."  
>"Oh heck yeah, I am!"<br>Kale had shouted from atop the hill. Now he was dressed in the outfit of the evil wizard, and it looked much, much cooler than the pyjamas for sure. A dark, hooded cloak made him look fierce, and the symbol of the Sheikah, a single eye, decorated his belt. Kale was standing dramatically about, his cape and long braid dancing in the wind, as he posed with his wooden sword in hand.  
>"Are you ready for total domination!?" he shouted at Link, who smiled and replied:<br>"Bring it on."

The boys fought each other with a burning passion. Kale utterly despised Link for getting the part, and Link just loved a good fight, especially when his sparring partner was an angered hot-head just as Kale was. They jumped, rolled on the ground, circled around each other and attacked at will. Every attack hurt, but only a little. After all, both just carried wooden swords. All around them, the villagers had gathered to watch them fight.  
>The villagers were not the only ones who watched. Two more, invisible spectators, were inspecting them for afar, but still got a clear view of their faces.<br>"They surely hate each other", one of them said. "Look at them go!"  
>"It's just the one boy, the black-clad one, who hates the green-clad one", the other voice said. "Such a pathetic homage. Of both."<br>"I couldn't agree more", the first one admitted, "but they look cute, don't they?"  
>"Such things doesn't interest me. You know that, your highness."<br>"…Forgive me."  
>"You are forgiven. About the green one… he's wearing the same garment as the third Hero of Men did. I think he's going to be the one we choose."<br>"Oh? Why so?"  
>"Because it feels right." The second voice sounded certain about his choice. "Now you go and alert them. As a reward, I will help you find your lost one."<br>"Alright", the first voice said. "Much obliged."  
>Both disappeared.<p>

Kale and Link were at the very culmination of the battle. In the heat of the moment, Kale had just hit Link's shoulder and actually damaged the garment a little. Link countered the attack by charging at him and hitting Kale's leg, causing him to fall on the ground.  
>Kale got up quickly and they rushed against each other, both very much prepared to end the whole thing. They got closer to each other. As they were just about to attack, a sudden pile of purple smoke shot out from the ground right in between them. It erected with such force that it sent both of the boys flying. They screamed, and Link hit the ground hard, much harder than when he had fallen out of bed the other day.<br>A mysterious fog spread from the pillar. It was so thick, that it was almost to impossible to see anything at all, and the smell was horrible. The villagers started to cough heavily. No one could breathe, and their eyes filled with tears from the stench.  
>Kale and Link rose. They looked at each other, and both of their faces said the same thing; what the heck was going on?<br>That question was just about to be answered. From somewhere in the fog, a tall woman approached, smiling viciously at them. Link and Kale readied their swords. This could get dangerous. The woman just laughed at their puny swords, those couldn't do her any damage.  
>"Hello, boys", she chuckled softly.<p> 


	5. Chapter 5: Trouble and nightmares

**Chapter five**

The smoke cleared off. Now Link could take a better gander at the tall woman. She had blue-greyish skin, red eyes and was dressed like royalty, only… stranger. Her hair was entirely covered except in the front, and it was as red as her eyes.  
>"Scram!" she shouted so loud, that it hurt everyone's ears. It scared the people – and the horses. Epona and Tooh ran off, neighing in panic.<br>"My horses! My precious horses!" Parth called out and tried to chase after them. It was pointless. The horses were much quicker than him, and soon they had disappeared into the woods.  
>The humans were still coughing from the smoke. It must've been some kind of poison in it, otherwise they wouldn't have felt so bad about it.<br>"Well, well, aren't you all just a weak bunch", the woman giggled.  
>She raised her hand and made a string of purple smoke again. Link alerted. Was she going to poison them again?!<br>No… she was just making a cloud out of it. She lied down on it and soared up a few metres, watching them from above. Playfully she started fidgeting with the cloud.  
>"…You all seem like you're weak. I wonder if this really is going to work out", she sighed while rolling on her back.<br>"Who… who are you!?" Kale shouted. "What do you want with us!?"  
>The strange woman laughed.<br>"Just a very bored, playful and powerful magician", she said, "unlike you. I bet you represent my master in this stupid little play. You don't really do him justice."  
>"I… what?"<p>

Kale dropped his jaw. This whole situation was too crazy to be true.

"Who is your master? The evil wizard?!" It was Master Gabriel who had spoken.  
>The woman smiled.<br>"I believe you folks call him that, yes", she said with malicious delight.  
>"What is your purpose here!? If you're not going to reveal who you yourself exactly are, you can at least have the decency to tell us that much!"<br>"Hm, I'd prefer not to", said the woman replied in a bored, moaning voice. "But alright. I'll be sweet and answer both of your questions. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Vesperan, queen of the banned people, and I'm here on a… mission."  
>"Queen of… what banned people, exactly?" asked Master Gabriel. He readied his magical rod, just in case something nasty would happen.<br>"What people do you think? There's not many to choose from. Especially as I pointed out that young man as being dressed as my master, which he really do no justice. Redesign the whole thing. Besides, don't you want to know what my mission here is? Relax. I'm not going to hurt anyone, so put that ugly thing down."  
>Master Gabriel lowered his cane, but he kept glaring at Vesperan just in case. It wouldn't be good if he dropped is guard in front of a dangerous person like her.<br>"So what is your mission, then?" he asked.  
>"Nothing big, actually. My job is just to talk to that hero guy. You."<br>A thin, long finger was pointing at Link.  
>"Hero? But I'm not a real hero!" Link yelled. "I'm just dressed as one…"<br>"Well, now you are", Vesperan sighed and turned to lie on her back, still toying with a piece of cloud. "I want you to go to the king and tell him something."  
>"And why should I?"<br>"I don't know… perhaps… because of this?"  
>Vesperan shifted her pointed finger to master Gabriel. Then, she turned her hand the other way and lifted it quickly, like if she was doing something. A ray of darkness shot out. But she was not quick enough.<br>Master Gabriel counterattacked. He created a magical shield of light that stalled her spell. But apparently it was too weak; because seconds later it shattered and Master Gabriel vanished into thin air and became an orb that looked like shady smoke.

The orb soared in the air for a few seconds, before it flew to one of Vesperan's hand at an amazing speed. She enclosed her fingers around it. Then, she blew lightly on her hand and then opened it. Empty. The villagers panicked and screamed in fear.  
>"Oh, yes, why would you ever do anything for me?" she asked grimly. "Do I have your attention now, hero?"<br>Link frowned.  
>"What have you done to Master Gabriel!?"<br>"He's safe, don't you worry", she reassured him, flipping over on the cloud again. "I'll let him out as soon as you've completed your job."  
>"Can you give us your word?" Link still didn't know whether to trust this strange woman or not.<br>"Perhaps", she said.  
>"Do you!?"<br>Link's patience was wearing thin. Of course he could do it, but he wanted to make sure that Master Gabriel would be safe. Otherwise… he grabbed the sword.  
>"Fine, fine, I promise!" Vesperan sighed. "Quit annoying me already!"<br>"What is it that you want me to tell the king?"  
>Vesperan cracked a half-hearted smile. Then she produced something – a scroll – out of thin air. Vesperan handed it to Link.<br>"Give him this scroll", said she. "Deliver this message: we declare war upon Hyrule. You get three days to warn them before we attack. That's it."  
>"Wait, what. Who declares war? Who exactly are this 'we'?"<br>"Well, you'll just have to find that out, won't you?" she said grimly. "Bow, bye-bye."  
>Under loud chuckling, Vesperan created a massive blast of smoke, and disappeared with it as quickly as she came.<br>"Master Gabriel is gone!" shrieked the mayor. "Who will defend the village!?"  
>"Who cares, what if she comes for us next!?" Bryn shouted.<br>"Forget about that, now!" screamed Bo. "We're gonna be at war! Prepare yourselves, men!"  
>Then the three brothers looked at Link. They were not the only ones who did it. The whole village had their eyes on him. They knew.<br>"Do your mission", Kale said sourly. "Get Master Gabriel back… hero", he added with disgust.  
>"For once, Kale is right", sniveled Bram. His voice was trembling as he took Link's hands, and Link was sure that the mayor was about to cry any minute now. "It's up to you how well we will be able to defend ourselves, my dear boy."<br>He sobbed and burst into tears before being able to continue.  
>"Go. Hurry to Hyrule Castle. Warn the king, warn the princess, warn everyone you meet. That woman… she, she was serious! She took… she took…"<br>Bram sobbed again.  
>"Go, Link, leave at once! Hurry!" he pleaded desperately. "All of Hyrule's fate is in your hands… we're all counting on you."<br>Link couldn't reply. His voice felt stuck somewhere in his throat, so he just nodded silently. He took a look at the scroll and put it in his pockets. He armed himself with the wooden sword and Bo gave him a shield to defend himself with.  
>Link took a deep breath. Then he left the village of Naavis without even looking back.<p>

"Uncle Bram! Uncle Bram! We're finally here…" Livia said as she was running towards the stage. Then she stopped. "What… what happened here?"  
>"Where's Link?" Trinnean asked and looked around. "I thought he was supposed to be here already…"<br>"He was", said the mayor, still crying. He held a handkerchief to dry his tears. "And now he's gone…"  
>"What? Why?" Trinnean looked confused. "And what was that sound? And that smell!? Was it a bomb? Is Link… is Link hurt!?"<br>His father walked up to him and Livia. Bryn put one arm around the shoulders of each of his kids and told them with a heavy sigh:  
>"Look at the other end of the village. There Link goes. Alive and kicking, on his way out of Naavis. Trinnean… Livia…"<br>Bryn looked at his children with sad eyes.  
>"Something terrible has happened. Let's go home, I'll explain to you what happened there…"<p>

Link walked out of Naavis borders all alone for the first time in his life. The plains were much huger than he remembered. Sure, he had been riding on them with Epona a few times, but then they always stayed close to the village. Well, once he had wandered the fields together with uncle Archie, but that was way too many years ago and Link had no idea which direction was which. How was he supposed to get to Hyrule Castle all by his own?  
>"Looks like I need to improvise", he thought.<br>He tried walking north, but soon realized that it wasn't going to help him much. Mountains and forests towered up high before his eyes, but there was no castle in sight.  
>"Okay, let's try west", he thought and took a few steps in that direction.<br>After a while, huge walls rose in the horizon. It was the castle town walls. Or at least what Link hoped that it was. He sighed. Link would rather not stay out on the fields in the dark, but if he had to, then sure. He could do it. The sun was slowly setting. In a few hours the night would come creeping. Link tried to cheer himself up.  
>"Come on, you just have to do one single job. Then you go back, and the war isn't your problem… or probably will be, as it affects all of Hyrule, but…"<br>"Hello there. Looks like you could need some help."  
>His thoughts were interrupted by a light, sweet voice from somewhere behind. Link turned around. There stood a little girl.<br>She was short and blonde, and had dark, thick eyebrows above her curious eyes. The girl was dressed in working clothes, complete with a hat, an apron and a belt, in which various tools were inserted. On her back she was carrying a big rucksack.  
>"Hi", Link begun , still guffawed by her sudden turn-up. "Um… sure. Why not. But how would you be you able to help me? I mean, you're just a… kid."<br>"Kid, schmid", the girl said. "I hear that all the time. I'm gonna let it slide this time, but call me a kid again and you're gonna have it! Are we clear? Great! Well then, hello. Let me introduce myself. I'm a wandering adventurer who walks around the field, exploring different phenomena and perform excavations for my good friend Castor from the Hyrule Castle town library. My name is Aran! What's yours?"  
>"She's got a really good vocabulary for being so young", Link thought before introducing himself and adding a polite "nice to meet you."<br>"Ditto!" Aran replied delightfully. "Well then. How can I help you?"  
>"Did you say that you have a friend in the Castle town?"<br>Maybe this wasn't hopeless after all, Link thought. If she knew the way, things would be a lot easier.  
>"Oh, yes! Or, rather, I grew up under his care", Aran corrected herself. "He was never like a father to me, more like an elder brother… they both were, in fact… And they told me stories about the world and wanted me to become a fine adult and explore it. But that's beside the point. I take it you want to go to town, then?"<br>"Yes. Uh, it would be nice if you could give me some directions."  
>Aran smiled and pointed west.<br>"Okay, then! You see those walls over there? Yeah, that's the castle town. Keep walking in that direction and you'll be there in no time."  
>"In no time?" Link said hopefully.<br>"Well, or at least a few hours", she said, "the time is around five p.m. now, so it will get dark before you're there. Pretty soon, actually. But don't worry. It's not a long journey. You'll be there long before midnight, heh, if you don't get lost, that is. Well, in case of that, I can always give you a map, if you'd like? Here. Have two, it's on me. I drew them myself."  
>Aran handed Link a map of Hyrule Fields and one of the castle town. To his surprise, both maps were very well drawn for a girl of Aran's age. What could she be? Ten, eleven? Tops twelve.<br>"Thank you. That was… very, very nice of you", Link said in honest gratefulness.  
>"You're welcome!" Aran smiled. "Always glad to help. And maps are great. You never know when it might come in handy! By the way… I know it's a bit rude, but can I ask you why you're going to town? And those rags you're wearing… are they…?"<br>"The garment of the third Hero of Men, yes", Link nodded. "And actually, I'm glad you asked me. It's…"  
>Link swallowed. How was he going to put such a heavy subject so Aran would understand?"<br>"Listen… Aran", he begun. "There is… something bad upcoming. You need to run, hide, do anything you can to avoid staying here and risk your life. It'll be dangerous."  
>"Don't worry about the danger. I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself." Aran smiled.<br>"No, you don't understand, it's… a war."  
>"A war?" Aran raised her eyebrows. "Why? And with whom?"<br>"I don't know", Link sighed. "This tall, strange woman called queen Vesperan just magically appeared and handed me this scroll. She ordered me to go to the castle with it and tell him about her war declaration."  
>"Queen… Vesperan", Aran repeated. "Magically, you say? Hm. That would of course explain all the monsters that suddenly just popped up on Hyrule Field…"<br>"Monsters? What monsters?"  
>Aran shook her head.<br>"Nothing important", she said. "Go to the king. I promise I'll be careful. Off you go, and hurry. I hope to see you soon, Link. Good luck."  
>Then she walked away with a tall, proud posture. But Link could see that she feared the words, for she held her left hand close to the knife that was fastened to her belt.<p>

There was not much to do or say when Aran had left. Link decided to take a look at the map of the plains to see which way he should be going.

The map was very detailed, and Hyrule Field led to so many different places, more than Link could count. How huge the whole field must be in real scale! And it was divided in four great provinces, too. Well, three great ones, and one smaller. Link had no idea about that. Apparently, he himself lived in the Hylia Province, the smallest province in the land which was also called, for some reason, Factual Hyrule. Around it laid the three bigger ones. There was the rocky, north-western Eldin Province with mighty mountains and villages, right next to it in the north-east lied the Faron Province, which mostly covered the Great Woods, and the Lanayru Province was the southernmost land that had both a great lake and a canyon situated in it.  
>One thing made Link really happy to see. Apparently he had been right about the castle walls, and they were within the borders of the Hylia Province, if Aran had drawn it all correctly. How great of her to give him this useful map! Now Link didn't need to feel lost or confused over where he was heading.<br>He had high hopes about making it to Hyrule Castle before nightfall. If he sped up he could get things done today. And then Link would get Master Gabriel back… somehow. He wasn't sure that Vesperan was going to stay true to her word, but if she wasn't, Link was going to do anything he could to get Master Gabriel back. Then, he could collect all the villagers and flee with them far away from Hyrule to a safe haven…  
>… or, he could stay and participate in the war. Why not? Hyrule was his homeland. Link could handle a great fight against evil forces. He had so far, at least, and if he could do it to protect Hyrule – the greatest land of them all – he would do it. Side by side with his fellow comrades he would save the lands. But he couldn't do it alone. Together with the army, and probably with Bo, they could take Vesperan and her master, whoever he was, down. They would. They would do anything to protect Hyrule and its people.<br>With new courage in his heart, Link started running towards the horizon. For each step he took the castle walls grew larger and closer. They were still far away, but Link knew it could only be them. And – yes! Tall towers slowly rose behind the castle walls, so it had to be it. That had to be the castle!  
>"Let's make a run for it, then!" Link thought and sped up as much as he could.<br>After not too long, he had finally reached the castle town gates. Night had fallen, and Link had to battle a few monsters to proceed, but he made it. The gates were open. Two torches on each side of the gate were burning quietly.

Link entered. The town was bustling even at night. Especially the square was lively, as it was full of people and lit little lanterns hanging everywhere, giving light to the forever-going outdoor market. Considering the noises, everybody in town was awake. Even the street musicians were still playing after dark.  
>As Link walked past all the stalls, people tried to offer him their wares.<br>"An apple, sir? Fresh, good, juicy apples! Get your apples right here!"  
>"Bread! Bread fresh from the bakery! Please be sure to visit the bakery during daytime to get some delicious cake and pastry!"<br>"Siiiilk and satin! The best silk and satin you ever have seen!"  
>Link smiled. He liked the atmosphere in the town. Maybe he could enjoy it for a little while after warning the king about the war declaration. Or maybe not. There probably wasn't too much to enjoy if the war preparations started immediately.<br>Oh well. Perhaps the townspeople wouldn't get to know right away, he hoped.  
>Link looked at the map to find out the way to Hyrule Castle. Link examined the town map thoroughly. Alright, so the Castle entrance was right ahead. Great. Link ran to the estimated spot for his life, eager to get the job done. But something hindered him on his quest.<br>The two night-shift guards at the castle gates were not pleased with the scruffy young man who was disturbing the peace. They tried to make him go away. They shouted, screamed and pushed him away, but nothing worked. Their irritation escalated even more when Link started to explain why he had to go and talk with the king urgently.  
>The way the castle guards looked at Link made him feel like garbage. Well, taking the smell about the Hero's garment into account, they were half right about that, but still. It was no way to be treated in this dire hour. Link tried his hardest to make the guards understand his dilemma. They didn't care at all.<br>"Do you even have an audience with the Royal Family, boy?" said one of the guards in a snobby tone.  
>"No. But this matter is urgent! I mean, war is upon us!" Link told them exactly what had happened, how that evil queen witch-a-ma-thingy Vesperan had turned up, kidnapped an old man and sent Link to tell the king about the war declaration.<br>"Here, look at this scroll!" he said and showed it to them.  
>Finally, they showed a sign of curiousness. With a raised eyebrow, one guard took the scroll from him and opened it.<br>"Totally blank!" he shouted and threw it away. "What stupid nonsense. Stop with the lying already and go away!"  
>"What!?"<br>Link picked up the scroll. He examined it and, no, the guard was wrong. Link saw the message written there, clear as day. Sure, he couldn't read the handwriting very well, as it was quite an old-fashioned style and the language felt much the same. But the scroll sure wasn't blank. Were the guards just trying to get rid of him?  
>"No! What kind of a sick joke is this!? Please, don't be so cruel! Listen to me, I'm serious!" Link persisted.<br>"How could you be? No monsters or evil has existed in Hyrule for over a hundred years. Liar! Now scram before I throw you in a cell!"  
>"Are you joking? There were monsters on the field! I saw them. I slew some! Come with me, if you don't believe it. I can prove it to you! A sweet girl said that they just 'popped up' on the plains recently, here, come, I'll show you…"<br>"Go home, you're drunk", the other guard sighed tiredly.  
>"But you—" Link began desperately.<br>"Do I need to repeat myself?!"  
>The first guard pointed his spear towards Link. He had a stern look on his face and actually looked like he was ready to kill Link if he had to.<br>"Go! Before I make things _really_ unpleasant for you!"

Link realized that he had no choice. He had to give up. Well, for the moment, at least. Disappointed, he wandered away and started to look for somewhere to sleep for the night. Perhaps he could convince them tomorrow after a good night's rest.  
>Finding a place to stay the night turned out not to be that easy either. One by one, the townspeople turned him away, telling Link that they had either small homes or slept outdoors. Some didn't seem to sleep at all.<br>"Okay, then I'll pull an all-nighter as well", Link thought bitterly.  
>He was just about to give up for real when he finally found a good soul that actually could help him. On a mat somewhere in the middle of the town square sat a lone, red-nosed young man, who waved his arms, enticing people to come talk to him. The man looked silly; he had a bowl cut, tan skin, freckles and for some reason he was almost only dressed in shorts, even now, in the cold of the night.<br>When the man locked with Link's eyes, he immediately started speaking.  
>"Oh! Welcome! Please! Take a look at my wares!"<br>"Actually, I'm not here for shopping…" Link twisted his foot nervously. He wasn't sure how to put his plea to this… persistent shopkeeper. "Umm, I wonder. Is that carriage behind you yours? Right beside that huge pile of hay?"  
>"Yes. Why?" the man asked.<br>"This may sound like a strange question, but… can I sleep in that hay tonight?"  
>The vendor boy looked sour. Link apologized and promised he could make up for it some day.<br>"Alright! Buy something from me, then!" said the man.  
>But how would that be possible? Link had no money on him. Sigh. How stupid he felt! Of course he was going to need Rupees in town, what was he thinking? Not much, just about getting the job done and save Hyrule, Link reminded himself before asking the vendor:<br>"I promise to buy something from you as fast as I get money", he said. "Come on, I'm desperate here."  
>"Fine", the shopkeeper answered. "But keep quiet all the time and don't scare away my customers!"<br>"I promise", Link said and thanked the man a thousand of times. "Thank you, sir. My name is Link and I'm now in your debt."  
>"And I'm Beedle", the shopkeeper introduced himself.<br>"Nice to meet you, Beedle", Link said. "Listen, there's a war coming up…"  
>"A war, you say?" Beedle mused. "Great! That will be good for my business!"<br>This man can't be serious, Link thought and left it at that. He was really tired and didn't want to dawdle more than he already had today. Beedle seemed to think that way too, for he said:  
>"Now, go to sleep. Let's talk more in the morning. Good night!"<br>Link thanked him for the last time before getting comfortable in the hay. He fell asleep very quickly. Everything got so dark and warm, feeling so safe and nice… well, if it wasn't for the nightmares he had.  
>A dark, tall figure with flaming hair was screaming for revenge.<p>

"Puny humans", it shouted, "puny humans, I will crush you all. I will crush the one they call Zelda. I will crush her hero, her guardian, and her people. I will crush all of Hyrule!"  
>Link tried to fight the monster in his dreams, but he was too weak. His bones broke in many places. Soon enough, Link was lying on the ground, unable to move, and he was certain that he would bleed to death. The pain was agonizing. Then, everything went dark, and a voice whispered in Link's ear:<br>"He's going to return. And he longs to meet you." 


	6. Chapter 6: Princess Zelda

**Chapter six**

When Link woke up the next day, the sun was already high up. He had forgotten all about his dreams, and his head was now resting in a pool of drool. The later hours must've been really relaxing for Link. He blinked confusedly a few times and looked around. Where in the world was he?  
>Oh, right. Link tiredly shook his head. The castle town. How could he have forgotten?<br>"Oh! You're awake!" Beedle exclaimed. "Good, good! Can I interest you in any of my wares?"  
>"I told you, I have no money", Link groaned.<br>"You can always start looking at them! And if what you said about the war is true, then you have a great opportunity to equip yourself with these amazing things!"  
>"I guess…"<br>Link yawned and stretched his while body. How stiff it was! Sleeping on the hay was absolutely not as good as a proper bed. But the rest sure did him well. Now he had enough energy face the guards one more time.  
>"I'll do it later", he told Beedle, "because, you see, I have some urgent business to take care of first. Thanks again! I'll make it up to you as soon as I collect some Rupees! I promise!"<br>Link left the shopkeeper, who looked a little crossly at him. He felt a little bad about it, but tried to shake it off as he went on. After all, he had some important business to attend to. _Very_ important.  
>The very same guards from last night were still standing at the gate. And, shamefully enough, they were still just as persistent. No matter how Link wanted to get inside they refused every request, in spite of everything he said and that indeed other guards had spotted some monsters out on Hyrule Fields last night. They waved them off as "coincidences", and that Link still was drunk. He tried to convince them that he wasn't, but they replied nastily, why would they even try to smell his breath, go away.<br>"You've got to believe me!" Link persisted. "Look, why don't you just trust me already!? We're losing precious time here, time to prepare for the attack of Queen Vesperan and whoever she's working with, be it the evil wizard from the legend or not!"  
>But the guards still had hearts that were as hard to move as stones.<br>"If this is just some tricky way to get to complain to the Royal Family about the tunic's smell, then take it to the library! That is where they last took care of it before sending it to you folks. Ugh. It was delivered by the postman. Brave man! If the library doesn't want to take this on them, try him. Scram! You're an eyesore."  
>Link sighed. They wouldn't understand! For many hours to come, he still tried to convince them. But all was in vain. Nothing seemed to budge their iron will. After what seemed like forever he had to give up and walk away.<br>He hoped that he could find another way into the castle. Rather, Link _would_ find another way, he promised himself. For the sake of Master Gabriel, Hyrule, its people and all the peace there could ever be.  
>"Just wait", Link thought grudgingly. "I will finish this, no matter what."<br>Perhaps the townsfolk knew some way to get in touch with the king. No, apparently not. Alright, how about the princess? Or any other member of the Royal Family, or its affiliates? The answer was still the same – nobody knew. Link even asked the postman how long it would take to deliver a letter to the king, but he was very pessimistic that the king would even read it, he said.

Link was getting tired of this. But he kept on asking around, adding that he was willing to get to the king through the servants of the castle, if he had to. They had to at least go to town once in a while.  
>This time his efforts actually bore a little fruit. Quite literally, as he got the piece of information from a fruit vendor.<br>"Try the soldiers when they walk about in town", she said. "I have no other advice to offer, and it seems like the most effective way to reach the king if you're in such a hurry as you are. Care for a fresh pear from the southern lands?"  
>No, Link didn't. He thanked for the help and went on with his search. When would the soldiers turn up in town? According to the townspeople, they would sometimes go to the local tavern in the evenings. Not every evening, but Link could try his luck at there tonight and see where it might lead.<br>Well, why not. There was not much time left, and Link had to try everything if he wanted to make it in time. The second day was nearing its end. Sometime tomorrow, the war would break out, and it would be too late to save master Gabriel…  
>No. It would <em>not<em> be too late. Link had to keep on trying, no matter what. H stood up bravely and clenched his fists in anger. He swore that he would do everything in his might to finish this and bring peace to Hyrule. No matter what!  
>Just then, his stomach growled. Embarrassedly Link covered it and realized that he hadn't eaten pretty much anything since he left Naavis. No wonder he was so tired and cranky! He groaned from hunger, pain and frustration, wondering where to get anything to eat. Luckily, he found some Rupees in an alleyway and used it to buy bread and fruit. It wasn't enough, but it made him feel at least a little better.<p>

Link wandered around, searching for the bar that the people had spoken about. He looked at Aran's map and saw it marked with tiny letters in the northeast corner of the town. Apparently, the bar was called the Lone Horse Tavern.  
>The Lone Horse Tavern was a cozy little place. The building was oddly painted in red and blue but it had the loveliest interior, simple, woody and rough. On shelves, wooden carvings of miniature horses and cows stood as decorations. The ornaments were very well made.<br>As Link looked around the bar in silence, a voice was heard from the front desk:  
>"Do you like them? I carved them myself."<br>Link turned around. The bartender had appeared. He looked like a sympathetic man, round and jolly with a big red moustache under a big red nose. He chuckled softly when he saw Link's tired face.  
>"Rough day, eh? Come, sit here and chat with me, kiddo."<p>

Link sat down and gave the bartender a suspicious look. The latter started polishing his pints while talking.  
>"I've heard rumours about you", the he said. "People tell me that a boy walks around, dressed in something smelly, asking how he could get into the castle."<br>"Yup. That's me." Link gave the man ironic smile. "Unfortunately."  
>"And then you ended up here. Heh, heh, it was just a matter of time. The soldiers gather here almost every night and they are always looking for new recruits. Not that I say that we have a really bad guard force, no. They just… never mind."<br>The bartender laughed.  
>"So, you're going to join the force, eh?"<br>"Why do you think that?" Link asked with raised eyebrows. The bartender pulled a serious face, leaned in and whispered:  
>"Look, kiddo, I've heard more than rumours about you. You want to get to the king about some war declaration, right, and you've warned people about a war breaking out in Hyrule and all that stuff, eh? Monsters on the field and everything? Yeah, I figured as much", he said when Link gaped like a fish. "Thing is, things are not going to be easy for you. I mean, look, I believe you. I've had a feeling for the longest of time now… with the monsters and all. The potion shop owner's been acting really weird lately, too… never mind. My advice is; if you want to get to the king, don't just talk to the guards about it. Join them. Have their permission to enter the castle tomorrow morning. Do it early. Go extra early, make an excuse, say you want to prepare yourself. Then you can sneak to the princess or the king or whoever you might find first. Heed this advice: join. The. Force."<br>The bartender patted Link's back and went back inside, adding:  
>"You look very hungry, kiddo. Let me give you some soup. I've got leftovers that need to be eaten."<br>Link sat silently for a while, just thinking to himself. That was actually a really good idea. The best so far. He still pondered about it when the bartender came with the soup, telling him not to pay for it or anything. Things started to feel better and better, and as the night was nearing, Link hade made a decision. He would join the castle guard force.

Link sat by the bar desk, waiting for the soldiers to turn up. Meanwhile his meal, pumpkin soup with oat bread, he got to know the bartender a little better. Apparently his name was Taddy, and he was from a farm in the southern lands in the Lanayru Province. Taddy told that his farm was now being cared for by his adult daughter, Maddy, and her son named Taron.  
>"And there's another girl there currently, from some forest village or whatever", he added, "I can't remember her name right now. Maddy tells me she's a hard worker. I sometimes get letters from her. Do you get letters, Link? It's quite nice to read them from time to time, getting in touch with your loved ones."<br>"No, I have never gotten any letter", Link admitted and wondered who could've given him any. He didn't know anyone outside the village, well, not up until now. Besides his parents and siblings, but they had been long gone since forever. Probably they were all dead by now. So why bother, Link thought and slurped the last of the soup. It was delicious. Taddy smiled and said that it was the house's specialty, he was welcome to order it any time he liked, but next time Link would have to pay for it! Laughingly, Link promised that he would.

Slowly, the night came creeping, and as the darkness veiled the lands outside the small lanterns were lit, one by one. As they lit up, the sounds of the town weakened a little. Apparently some people did sleep, after all. But not all.  
>The door of the Lone Horse Tavern swung wide open.<br>"Gimme a big beer, Taddy", somebody said. "I'm thirsty after a hard day's work."  
>"Can I have a glass of wine?" someone else said, and after them came a third person, and a fourth, and a fifth, and a whole dozen of men. Link startled. Finally! The castle guards had arrived!<br>"Wait a little", Taddy mumbled through the corner of his mouth. "Let me handle this, kiddo. Until then, be still."  
>Link obeyed. As Taddy started pouring the guards their drinks, a big, caped man appeared from outside. His armour was more refined than the others, and he oozed of some kind of authority that the other ones lacked. It was the captain of the guard.<br>He, too, seemed thirsty, for he said:  
>"Taddy, I need something soothing. It's been a long day."<br>Taddy prepared him a drink quickly as the head guard sat down by his men. As the bartender served him his drink, he gave the captain a faint smile.  
>"Sir Viscen, you look really tired", he said. "Care to ease your problems?"<br>"Oh, there's this hopeless soldier", captain Viscen told, "no matter what I do or what training he undergoes, he remains the worst."  
>"You can't send him off?"<br>"I would", Viscen said, "if he wasn't the foster son of the general…"  
>"Shame." Taddy picked up some empty glasses and prepared new drinks for the shouting guards. "But let me tell you something, sir. What about a new recruit? Someone who could tutor him, a natural talent, a brave warrior."<br>"Not a bad idea. But wherever would I find such a person? I have great men and all", Viscen added, nodding at his crew, "but they really aren't suited to be mentors."  
>"Here's your man", Taddy said and put his big hand on Link's shoulder. "I have found you a new recruit, sir."<br>"What's that?" Viscen said surprised. He eyes Link from head to toe. "Well, he does look strong, and full of willpower… oh. Those clothes, those are…"  
>Captain Viscen gasped.<br>"Those are the Hero's garb!" he said attentively. "You're a Navitian! So you've come to learn how to fight, is that it? Old Bo couldn't suffice you enough? He could've at least sent me a letter."  
>"Actually, I came here on my own", Link said. "I didn't know that Bo had allies in town."<br>He went up to the head guard and bowed deeply on one bended knee.

"I would very much like to join your forces, sir Viscen. I promise I won't do it just because of performing. I want to be able to aid Hyrule. I want to protect it."  
>Not knowing how many reasons that really were embedded in those words, the captain laughed.<br>"I'm sure!" he said, "you look like you could pull it off, actually. Maybe you can't tutor the hopeless case, but I'd love to see what you can do. Alright! Here's a permission slip that will let you into the castle… wait, let me sign it for you… there you go. Alright, there we go. Tomorrow, we will equip you with proper armour, a shield, and foremost, a _real_ sword, not a wooden thing like you have there", he laughed and pointed. "I bet that I know who gave it to you. Ah, well, let's not bother with that anymore. Let's enjoy life for tonight and relax a little! Report to me tomorrow morning at nine o'clock. We'll meet in the castle training grounds. See you then, recruit Link."  
>"See you then, sir", Link replied before thinking to himself: "that is, if I don't get thrown out for sneaking around before the morning call."<p>

As the party went on through the night, the soldiers had left, one by one, to go home and sleep in their quarters. Link asked if he could join and get his bed assigned already tonight, as he had no place to sleep for the moment. But Viscen just tiredly shook his head.  
>"Wait until tomorrow. Ev-verything will be given to you then, right now… I just can't. Aschk Taddy", he sighed and staggered back home.<br>Taddy frowned. Well, at least he was kinder than the drunk Viscen, because he let Link sleep in an empty back room. However, as grateful as Link was, he never went to sleep – he was far too excited for that. He just lied about all night, fully alert, waiting for the dawn. And it came.  
>As soon as the sun rose, Link sneaked out of the Lone Horse Tavern and walked to the castle gates. There, he showed the guards his permission slip. They were both surprised and angered by the fact that Link now had joined the forces.<br>"But why are you so early?" one asked suspiciously.  
>"I want to take a good look at the castle, so I won't get lost", Link replied courteously.<br>"So you won't be warning the king anymore, huh?"  
>"Not a chance", Link lied, hoping that they would believe him.<br>The soldiers stood silent for a moment, staring at Link like they didn't know whether to believe him or not. Then, they eased their spears and stepped aside. The passage was open.  
>"You better behave", said one of the guards, "if we hear any of that drunk-talk spread in the force, we will report you and have you kicked out!"<br>"Not a chance", Link replied angrily and went inside.  
>According to the clock on the tower of the town swuare, the time was six in the morning. Link had plenty of time to sneak in and warn the king before he had to report to Viscen. Well, at least three hours sounded like it would be enough. The question was just – how would he use this time wisely?<br>Link walked about in the courtyard. He tried to look for a way into the castle, anything would do, even a kitchen entrance. The soldiers guarding the palace did not stop him; sometimes they wondered who he was and what his business was, but when Link showed them the permission slip and told them that he was getting to know the area, they let him be, even if his sudden turn-up did annoy them a little.  
>The castle grounds were so huge! There were gardens, most of them locked up behind tall iron fences. A paved courtyard sufficed as training grounds for the soldiers, where one lone soldier was training his sword techniques on a dummy. He wasn't too good at it, Link thought. But one could see that the soldier was trying his hardest. Perhaps too hard.<br>Well, it was not any of Link's troubles. Carefully he crept on in search of an entrance that was not locked or guarded. It was a hard task. The castle was huge, and it took an hour to circle it. He was about to give up when he finally found an unlocked gate to one of the gardens. Better than nothing, Link thought and entered.  
>In there, the garden was in full bloom. Beautiful blossoms everywhere, and everything except the statues and fountains were so… green. Link had never seen anything so beautiful. Well, it would've been more beautiful if the soldiers hadn't been standing about.<br>Luckily, a few guards were sleeping on the job, so Link had to slowly creep past them to find – an unlocked door. Perfect.  
>With a rapidly beating heart, Link turned the doorknob and entered what probably was forbidden grounds for every pre-trainee – the inside of Hyrule Castle.<p>

The inside was even more marvellous than the courtyard. Exquisite furniture and decorations everywhere, carpets and tapestry of the finest fabric, and everything just looked so… mighty.  
>Link took a few steps forward. For each thing he laid his eyes upon he admired it for a bit. That might've been his downfall.<br>"Who are you?" a voice said.  
>Link turned around. There stood the soldier boy from earlier, the one that had been training alone. His eyes weren't visible, but Link was sure that it was him – the voice was at least the same.<br>"What are you doing here?" the soldier asked when Link didn't reply to his first question. "If you're a visitor, you wouldn't be here so early… and if you were a thief, well, then you'd filled up a bag of things already. So… who are you?"  
>"I'm a new recruit", Link said honestly. "I'm going to join… the guard force."<br>The soldier looked at him in what Link assumed to be a mistrusting way. Link had to say something else. He had to explain why exactly he was inside the castle. But would he lie or tell the truth?"  
>"I… I'm sorry", Link said and decided to lie. "The castle was just so huge, I just wanted to take a look at it. See what it looked like inside."<br>The soldier sighed impatiently.  
>"Okay, I understand you. I was just the same when I got here first. But be quick about it, okay? And silent. Make sure that no one sees you! I'll see you at the training grounds", he said plainly and left.<p>

What luck! The soldier had swallowed the lie with rod, line and sinker. Link felt how his heartbeat dropped. He hadn't even noticed that he had been so nervous.  
>Along the castle halls, Link walked silently, looking for anyone that seemed to be of royalty. Or at least had some kind of authority. Someone who wouldn't shove him away. One thought struck him like a piercing arrow. What if the king or the princess didn't take him seriously? What if they, too, would laugh him off and turn him away? The consequences of that would be horrible. Link could face a punishment of a lifetime in prison for breaking in, or, possibly, death. But then again, the war still probably would break out. Link had nothing to lose. He had to do this no matter what.<br>Just as he was about to enter the next room – an astonishing library – he heard voices coming from the very centre of it.  
>"Who goes there!?" shouted a scary looking woman. She was tall, white-haired, oddly made-up and dressed in some kind of armour. From the very look of it, Link knew that this was not a person to mess with in any way. He stood still, barely daring to breathe, hoping that the fearsome woman would not notice him.<br>But it wasn't him that the warrior had heard.  
>"It is me, Impa", a sweet voice said. "Relax."<br>Out from the shadows of the giant bookshelves came – unbelievable – it was the princess of Hyrule!

"Thank you for coming, Impa", said the princess. "I'm glad you could make it."  
>"What is it that you wanted to talk about, princess Zelda?" asked the warrioress, apparently named Impa. "You seemed very eager about it."<br>"Yes", Zelda said. "It is…"  
>The princess sat down. The library had deep-green, very cozy-looking chairs everywhere in between the bookshelves. Impa gazed at Zelda, giving her a worried look.<br>"I've had nightmares again."  
>"The same nightmares as before?"<br>"Yes."  
>Princess Zelda sighed heavily.<br>"I… I wonder what this means. The one in green… he just dies, all over and over again…"  
>"Do you really think he is the hero of legend? The one to stop the darkness in your dreams?" Impa looked doubtful, but the princess sure did not.<br>"I do", Zelda replied, "and I think that he's the one to do something. Prevent something. Probably bad things from happening… something really, really bad…"  
>Link dared to crack a vague smile. Could things get any more perfect than this? This princess, Zelda, apparently knew what was going on. The deal was sealed. Alright, he just had to march up front, and…<br>No. He couldn't.  
>The castle started crumbling. The floor beneath Link's feet was shaking, and strange noises were heard everywhere, like if the whole building was falling apart. Someone screamed. And then someone else laughed. It was a foul, malicious laughter that echoed in all the halls of the castle.<br>Link readied his sword. He knew who it was. Vesperan!  
>A terrible explosion was heard among even more screams. It sounded alarmingly close.<br>"The throne room!" princess Zelda shouted. "We're under attack!"

- End of part one


	7. Chapter 7: The war

Part two

Chapter seven

Princess Zelda and Impa rushed past Link without even noticing him. They set their course for what Link assumed to be the throne room, so he followed them.  
>There, he saw a shocking sight.<br>Fire was burning everywhere. Black areas witnessed of gunpowder, or anything else that was explosive, had been set off just seconds earlier. People were trying to tend some of the most broken places and the injured victims.  
>Soldiers were scattered around in the throne room. All of them looked like they were prepared to kill any minute, and Link could see who they wished to see dead.<br>Right in the middle of the whole chaos stood Vesperan. She was soaring a few metres up in the air, looking at the scene she had caused, grinning widely. Her clothes were covered in blood. It looked like she had injured someone pretty badly. Link assumed that poor victim was someone in the middle of a bunch of soldiers, as they were crouching over a lifeless object on the floor close to the throne stairs.  
>The soldiers tried to resist the wicked queen's power. Some of them were shouting at Vesperan, attacking her, but she avoided them as if it all was just child's play. She was laughing maliciously every time the soldiers missed.<br>Link was about to join the brave men when he saw something flickering in the corner. He halted. Squinting his eyes, he could see... a grayish thing. A shadow. Or that's what it looked like, at least. It was a bit blurry, true, but Link thought it looked very similar to a cloaked and hooded man. The man was soaring in the air, silently and completely still, just… watching them struggle, with a dead calm expression on his face.  
>Link gasped out loud in surprise, causing Impa to turn around and finally notice him. She was just about to ask what the hell he was doing there when Zelda forestalled her.<br>"Father!" shrieked the princess. "Where is my father!?"  
>The soldiers, who had gathered around the limp victim, gave each other worried looks. Under much regret, they moved away. In the middle of their circle lied a big, bulky and well-dressed man with a golden crown on his head. This had to be the king of Hyrule, Link thought. With gloom in his heart he gazed upon the old man. The king looked almost dead. He was staring up at the ceiling, panting, his entire body smothered in blood.<br>"NO!"  
>Zelda's scream echoed in all of the room. As she ran up to her father, her eyes burst into tears that left a glittering trail in the air as she leapt by. She kneeled by his side and put her arms around him, crying loudly.<br>"Father…" she sobbed, "no, this can't be true."  
>"Zelda… you…"<br>The king's voice was heavy, raspy and huffing. He didn't have much time left. He tried to raise his hand and caress her cheek, but had no energy left. He collapsed and shut his eyes, groaning in pain. Zelda snivelled.  
>"Please, oh please, don't go…"<br>Impa, who had been watching her lady grieve, was breathing heavily as she turned her head to Vesperan.  
>"Who are you? What is the meaning of this!?"<br>Vesperan didn't reply. She was still looking at princess Zelda, chuckling lightly to herself.  
>"I see you didn't get your warning in time. How sad..."<br>"What are you talking about!?" Impa shouted. "Answer me!"  
>"You must be general Impa", Vesperan, finally noticing her. "I'm glad I'm finally meeting you… I hold a very… personal grudge against you and your kin, so to speak." Link saw a shadow of a smile in the corner of Vesperan's mouth. Then she asked Impa, in a disgustingly sweet voice:<br>"Care to battle me?"  
>Impa groaned and readied her sword. She gazed at the fiend from head to toe.<br>"Not until you tell me who you are."  
>But that information defaulted, as the wicked queen didn't seem interested in replying more than:<br>"You'll just have to find that out by yourself, no?"  
>And with that, the two locked gazes. Vesperan raised her hand. Impa drew her sword. A few seconds later, they clashed, and oh, they battled, full of hate, not looking away from each other's eyes, focusing, trying to get any chance taking their opponent down. Everyone in the room was mesmerized by the power emitted from the fight. All the soldiers cheered for Impa. Link saw that she was a very impressive warrior – no wonder that she had been appointed the general title.<br>Suddenly he remembered the princess. He turned to Zelda, who wasn't cheering on her trusted servant. She took the fight as an opportunity to bid farewell to her father. She held his hand, not leaving the king's side, who was starting to breathe heavier and heavier.  
>Link saw that Zelda was hovering her hand above the king's wound. She was using some kind of magic. It looked like she was trying to heal him. Link was just about to kneel to try to say something to comfort Zelda, tell her, well, anything, when he saw something flickering just a few metres behind the princess – just for a few seconds. Link blinked his eyes. Was his mind playing tricks on him, making him imagine weird stuff?<br>No… wait. There it was again! The flicker sharpened, and now Link saw the shadow man from before. He was holding something in its hand. Something huge. Something sharp.  
>Link readied his wooden sword. He followed the shadow man with his eyes for every time he turned up. Zelda stopped snivelling for a few seconds and gave him a weird look. That's when it happened.<br>Right after she turned her head again, the shadow man appeared in full shape. His deep purple cloak flowed behind him as he raised the object in his hand – a giant, strangely shaped sword. He advanced fast, soaring through the air, ready to attack Zelda and slay her, but Link was faster. He rushed by and grabbed Zelda, throwing her to the side. The princess screamed. A loud echo was heard as the shadow man's sword hit the floor and cut deep in its stone.

Everyone turned their heads. Even Impa and Vesperan stopped fighting for a few seconds to check on what had happened. That's when Vesperan saw her opportunity.  
>While Impa had her eyes turned away, she aimed a beam of magic at the warrior, sending Impa flying across the room and hitting a wall. The general groaned from pain as she sunk down on the floor again.<br>"Impa!" Zelda shouted, in unison with someone else – a soldier.  
>Link recognized him as the soldier boy from before, the one who had let him off when he caught Link in the castle. Now he ran up to Impa and tended her wounds. Vesperan let out a loud malicious laugh.<br>"My, how clumsy you were. Maybe next time you'll be more careful."  
>Impa snorted from anger. She made an attempt to stand up, but the soldier boy stopped her, telling her she was too weak. Vesperan looked at the general with a cruel smile, as if she wanted to bask in her own gloat. Her smile got even wider when she laid eyes on Link. She said:<br>"Well, it seems like you didn't make it in time, but at least you saved the princess… for the moment."  
>"You were sent by her?" Zelda gasped. Link shook his head furiously, but it had no need, as Vesperan continued:<p>

"No, I just wanted him to pass on a little message for me… but it's too late for that now, and as you're still alive, I might as well state it. We're here to take Hyrule away from you."  
>"You're… what?"<br>Vesperan's smile disappeared.  
>"You heard me. We're going to take over Hyrule. You are going down, princess, and we will own the land as its new rulers, and…"<br>"That's enough, milady, we don't want to spoil too much of the surprise."  
>Everyone silenced. The whole room was echoing the deep, calm voice that had spoken. Everyone was listening, and even the king had stopped huffing. But he was still alive, because Link saw that the king was watching the new intruder with one open, angry eye.<br>The one who had spoken was the shadow man. He wasn't that tall, but for some reason it appeared as he towered high above the princess and Link.  
>"Princess", he said, the words echoing coldly throughout the whole room. Everyone was stunned. His voice was so beautiful. Link thought that he would love listening to it forever, as it'd be singing lullabies for him the whole night through. Shame that its cold undertone and echo made it sound so evil.<br>But then again, he _was _the enemy. He wasn't supposed to be thought good of, Link reminded himself and shook his head. Focus!  
>"Princess", the shadow man said again. "I am indeed here to take Hyrule. As revenge for what your ancestors have done to me and my friends. If you fight back, you will face instant death. Hyrule will go down, and you with it. But I'm not an impossible man. I can let you live. Surrender, and I will leave you alone."<br>"Let me live!?" Zelda shouted. "You tried to kill me just a few minutes ago!"  
>"I'm willing to apologize for that. If you move out of my way immediately, that is."<br>"I cannot accept that!"  
>The princess stared into the eyes of the shadow man. He stared back, or at least that's what it looked like what he was doing, as his cloak covered his eyes completely. Then he said:<br>"Very well. If that's your choice."  
>He readied his sword, and princess Zelda took a deep breath. Link jumped in front of her with a stern face. He would not let this foul villain end Hyrule and its last ruler alive! He would fight, even if it meant that he would die himself!<br>Zelda gasped upon seeing his sudden action. So did Impa, who took the young warriors side, together with the knight from earlier, together with the whole army of knights, all standing behind her, ready to defend their princess and their country. Princess Zelda must've realized something upon seeing all this, because she then shouted:  
>"Wait!"<br>Everything was still. The shadow man stood silent and calm waiting for the princess to continue, whereas Vesperan was sighing impatiently and bobbing her head back and forth in frustration.  
>"Princess, we cannot give up like this. Not like this!"<br>"Impa!" Zelda. "We can. I… I believe…"  
>She apparently struggled to say what she wanted, because she started shaking tremendously. Then, with a trembling voice, the princess said:<br>"I've changed my mind. I think we'd better surrender. Before it's too late."  
>"Princess Zelda!" Impa grunted.<br>"I won't have any more victims!" Zelda cried. "My father is dying, and you could've died, too! Don't you see? They're too powerful for us to defeat."  
>Princess Zelda kneeled by her father's side again and stroke his cheek. He was still alive, but barely. His life was seeping away second by second. The princess' tears ran down her cheeks and landed on his blood-stained robe, making a horrible mess.<br>The wizard moved his hand, and the sword disappeared out of his hand. For the first time, he showed a bleak, crooked smile.  
>"I appreciate your repentance. A true pleasure."<br>"Thank you, merciful sir…" Princess Zelda said, and to everybody's shock – oh, the horror! – she bowed to the evil man! Everyone in the room stared with jaws dropped, and the captain of the guard even shrieked: "PRINCESS!"  
>But before he could continue, Zelda interrupted him and locked eyes with the wizard:<br>"However, I do have one request."  
>"And what is that?"<br>"Before you make Hyrule your own… give me time to mourn my loss. If not for the loss of my country, then at least of its king. You robbed him his life, and me of a father. We could've lived together even after being evacuated from our home."  
>The shadow man was silent. Everyone waited for his reply. After what seemed like forever, he finally said:<br>"Very well. I shall accept your request. I will give you some time to mourn your loss. But on one condition; after that, you will help me reach the Sacred Realm."  
>Princess Zelda and Impa looked horrified at the man.<br>"Princess, do not agree to these conditions", she shouted, "it won't make things any better, we cannot accept this, we must fight…"  
>"Decide now, princess, or it will be too late."<br>Zelda snivelled and whimpered. She looked at her father, eyes full of tears. A few seconds went by, she clenched her fists and then whispered:  
>"I'll do it."<br>"Good."  
>The wizard's smile widened, but just a little. He cleaned up the whole throne room as he proclaimed:<br>"I will return soon. Until then, I will leave you alone to grieve…"  
>He looked at Vesperan, who had said nothing during this whole time, just fidgeted with her dress. It was clear she had been bored this entire time.<br>"Milady, we have other business to attend to. Let's go."  
>Queen Vesperan lighted up at the uttering of her name.<br>"Yes, master", she replied somewhat more lively.  
>And with those words, both had disappeared. Link was confused. So this was the war? Hyrule had already lost. He wouldn't even be able fight. Not anymore. The land… already belonged to the evil. Or well, soon enough, at least.<br>Just then, Link heard Zelda mumble something. He crept a bit closer to hear what she was saying.  
>"Is it too late yet…?" she asked the dying king. He huffed something in reply. Princess Zelda leaned in close to his face and held a whispering conversation with her father.<br>"I understand… I will do as you wish. Thank you, father. May you rest in peace… "  
>The king smiled vaguely. His eyes were gleaming from sadness as he grabbed his daughter's hand. And then, with a final, deep sigh, he closed his eyes and passed away. Zelda swallowed, as if to get rid of the last of her tears inside, and rose. She stood tall and proud, with a straight back, as she looked around and proclaimed:<br>"Alright. Let's prepare for war." 


	8. Chapter 8: Ghost from the past

**Chapter eight**

"You were quick to change your mind, your highness", the head guard pointed out. "Why this sudden… decision? _Again?_"  
>Zelda sighed.<br>"Of course we're not giving up. Not yet. Captain, I want you and your men to operate in silence. We cannot have the fiend know that we're fighting back, we need to do it in secret, if we don't want Hyrule to fall entirely."  
>Impa showed one of her rare, crooked smiles. She seemed to be impressed with the princess' plan.<br>"It is a great plan, princess Zelda. I agree with you to one hundred percent that this is the ideal way to save Hyrule. But I see one great flaw. How can we hide this from them? They didn't seem stupid. It will reach them sooner or later what we're doing."  
>"I'm aware of it, Impa, and I think I have a solution for it." Princess Zelda smiled. "We will send this young man to save us."<br>She put her hand on Link's shoulder, who couldn't believe what the princess just had said. Why in the world did she think that he was able save them all!? Apparently the captain wondered the same thing, for he asked:  
>"Why in the world do you believe, if you excuse me for saying this, your highness, that this boy, this <em>boy<em>, could save Hyrule?"  
>Princess Zelda smiled.<br>"You see, they expect us to use the brave knights in the land to save us, to summon all the greatest heroes and whatever we can find to help. But we will not. We will put out a sidetrack, a fake lead for them to follow. Meanwhile, this …_boy_… as you call him, will be the one looking for the thing we need to conquer the evil once and for all."  
>"But he's—"<br>"Fully capable of performing the task. Didn't you see his bravery when the enemy tried to attack me? He saved me once, and he was ready to risk his life to do it again!"  
>The captain silenced. Zelda had a valid point. Trying to shake off his jealousy, he asked:<br>"What is this thing we need to defeat the foe, then?"  
>"Captain, if I just may…"<br>The boy soldier, still by Impa's side, gave his leader a troubled look, but the captain just snorted him off.  
>"You may nothing! I want to hear what the princess has to say!"<br>"Well, if you then kindly just would be quiet and listen…" the princess sighed. "Do you remember the ancient legend? The one who helped wiping out evil last time it tried to take over Hyrule?"

"What does that have anything to do with this?" the captain asked with doubt in his voice.  
>"If my hunch is correct… then almost everything. But before I can go on…" the princess turned to Link and said, with an undertone of hope:<br>"I'd like to know more of what you know. If I am to trust you with this mission, I need to know what you know of the enemy already", the princess explained. "Also… it would be nice if our hero has a name…" She quietened as Link told her his name.  
>"Hm, Link, is it? How strange, I'm sure that I have heard of it before… well. I guess it doesn't matter right now… well, Link. Tell me. What information do you possess?"<br>"Not much", Link admitted and told her what he had experienced during the rehearsal back at the village. He also added the theory about Vesperan's master, the supposed shadow man, possibly being the evil wizard from the evil tales, on account of her words upon seeing Kale in his performance clothes.  
>"But how could that be possible?" asked Link. "I mean, the hero defeated the wizard and everything was good and peaceful after that. Right?"<br>The princess let out a sad sigh. She bit her lower lip in frustration.  
>"Not… really. Taking all of this into account, it actually sounds quite sensible that he in fact <em>would<em> be the wizard."  
>Everyone but Impa looked doubtfully at each other. Princess Zelda cleared her throat quietly.<br>"I think… I will have to tell you the real version of what happened." She sat down on the stairs in front of the throne and proclaimed:  
>"This is how the hidden version goes. The one only told for the Royal Family and the most loyal of the Sheikah, the guardians of the Royal Family's blood. None of you must ever repeat this story to anyone outside this room. Not a soul! Can al of you promise me this?"<br>Everyone promised. Some even swore on everything they owned.  
>"Good." The princess cleared her throat. "Then, listen well…<p>

_Long ago, Hyrule was in a flourishing age of peace and life. _

_After the castaway tribes had resettled in Hyrule, the wizard appeared, and yes, as the regular tale tells us, he did intensify his power during his time there, and he wished for chaos in the land, creating it, cherishing his own evil power._

_It is also true that the wizard enslaved or enchanted some of the Sheikah magicians together with a few of the warriors. The rumours started to spread that he wanted to take over Hyrule. But that wasn't the only thing he was after. Only the Royal Family and the Sheikah know the truth._

_The wizard sought a magic power, a hidden power in a Sacred Realm that no one has entered for centuries. This power can grant anyone's wish and has the might to do anything – yes, anything – that one could ever wish for._

_When a brave Sheikah man learnt this, he immediately asked the Royal Family to aid them. They agreed to help. The bravest souls in the land were summoned to put an end to the wizard's forsaken curse._

_But the wizard's power was too strong. It was not possible to completely undo what he had done, and brainwashed members of the Sheikah were too dangerous to keep in Hyrule. Their magic powers could slay them all if they were to stay._

_And so the Heroes had no choice. After finishing the wizard with an empowered sword of legend, they called for the gods. And the gods came to Hyrule._

_They opened a portal to another world and banished the poor quondam Sheikah there, in hope that they would never harm anyone again. The wizard was sealed off in a temple somewhere in Hyrule. He was put into a deep, deep slumber, and his seal was controlled by the princess of the land once in every year until a hidden great power took over her task. That power has watched over him ever since._

_All ended well, and the wizard has never been seen since then.  
><em>  
>Until now." Princess Zelda shivered. She rubbed her arms for warmth and comfort to shake the bad feeling off while she continued: "We need to find the sword that the Hero used. It was used to weaken the wizard and call the gods. Without it, we're doomed."<br>"So… you want this boy to hunt for it?" the captain growled. "Please excuse me, your highness, but you're being completely impossible! I've known so many that's explored all of Hyrule, but never found any hidden grounds or sacred swords or whatever…"  
>"I assure you that all of this is real."<br>It was Impa who had spoken. She stepped forward and faced the captain with an angry look.  
>"There is a reason why this story and the sword were concealed from regular people. If in the wrong hands, this power – and the weapon – could cause another crisis to Hyrule. But I have to agree, it sounds much like a legend. So, princess Zelda…"<br>Impa turned to her and kneeled before her ruler.  
>"We need to start this charge as soon as possible. Tell us what to do, and we will do it! Without questions! Aren't I right, captain?"<br>She gave him a sour look. The captain answered it by snorting.  
>"Don't… Please don't argue", the princess pleaded. "Yes, we need to handle this as quick as possible, I agree… but don't be bitter, I beg you! That will only slow us down…"<br>The corner of the captain's mouth twitched, and he groaned angrily at the general. That apparently agitated the soldier boy.  
>"If you attack general Impa, you'll have to go through me first!" he hissed.<br>His captain looked shocked at his underling and took a few steps back before regaining his senses.  
>"Private, you cannot treat me like this! I'm your captain! You'll have to do what I say! You'll…"<br>"Stick with general Impa", princess Zelda said plainly. "Please be quiet! We need to handle this with care! But do not worry, captain. I have a special task for you as well. But before I assign it to you, I need to speak with Link and Impa. In private. Meanwhile…"  
>The princess glanced quickly at the corpse. She swallowed and asked it to be taken care of. Then, she led Link, Impa and the boy soldier to a secluded room in the back. There she went up to the window to look out on her beloved Hyrule, the land that would soon turn into ruins if they didn't hurry. Quietly she sighed and allowed herself to shed a few tears. The silence was pressuring and had to be broken.<p>

The first one to talk was Impa.  
>"Princess Zelda, I think I know what you're thinking. There is one soul who knows of all this, is there not? The one called… the Prisoner."<br>"Indeed…" the princess turned around with a sterile facial expression. "That will be our main mission. Link, I want you to visit her and find out what she knows. Ask her about the sword. But before you go, we need to prepare you."  
>"If it's about the Hero's garb, don't worry", Link said. "I can take them off if you want to preserve them, if you provide me with a set of other clothes, of course."<br>"No, I want you to keep them." The princess smiled vaguely. "They are… uncanny enough, very fitting for this whole situation. Who would've known that this would happen? If only I could fix them up a little… but… perhaps there is someone else who can."  
>The princess went to a cupboard and opened it. Impa raised her eyebrows.<br>"What's that?" the soldier boy asked and looked at Impa, who didn't answer. He turned back to Zelda, who retrieved a small, black object. For the first time, the soldier boy took off his helmet and showed his face. His hair was long, tied in a long tress under his armour, and was just as blond as Link. His nut brown eyes were huge with surprise as he looked at the thing in princess Zelda's hands.  
>It was an hourglass, with black, detailed ornaments that twisted and twirled like ocean waves. Inside bounced a strong, blue light. It looked sort of liquid, sort of gas – but it was hard to say what it really was. Link thought that this had to be true magic. The soldier boy stretched out his arm and stroke the hourglass lightly with his fingers.<br>"No, wait", he whispered. "It can't be…"  
>"Oh, but it is", the princess said. "It's one of the objects in the tales that our dear Impa told us when we were children." She smiled. "Do you remember?"<br>"So that is one of the ghost containers", the soldier boy whispered. "It's beautiful. I had no idea that it would be in the castle. I mean, what are the odds?"  
>"It was gifted by the very magician who trapped the ghosts, before he disappeared."<br>"So it's true…"  
>"Indeed. And I have to agree, that this hourglass is a brilliant artefact", Zelda said with respect in her voice. "With the magic of their true element… shadows. The Sheikah were good craftsmen. You should be proud of your heritage."<br>"Indeed they were", Impa stated with an unnecessary loud voice. "But how do we open it?"  
>"What are we going to need a ghost for?" the soldier boy asked.<br>"It will be assigned to Link." The princess handed the hourglass to him. Link received it, somewhat fumbling, wondering what he would do with it. He had no need of asking, for princess Zelda then explained:  
>"When you visit the Prisoner, her information might be false. We're not sure if we can trust her or not. That's why we need someone with the magical abilities of separating lie from truth. The Sheikah are very good at understanding such things. This hourglass contains the spirit of a magician. Even after death, he should still possess at least some of his magical abilities. Enough to help us with this one last thing, I hope. Now… Link. Break the hourglass you're holding, and release his spirit."<br>"What!?" the soldier boy gasped. "B-break… the relic!?"  
>"It's the only way to release it", Impa nodded. "Link, proceed."<br>Link looked unsurely around him. Even if the soldier boy remained silent, Link could see clearly in his eyes that he would hate to see such a beautiful piece of old and preserved art ruined. So, with an unsure mind, he raised his hand… and threw the hourglass on the floor.

The hourglass crushed into teeny, tiny pieces with a horribly loud sound. As soon as the first crack opened, the blue light-fog-thing seeped out into the air. It twirled and danced in the air for a minute, in marvellous patterns that reminded of a sweet summer's wind, before it slowly took shape and formed a tiny human body…  
>Before long, the body unfolded more details. Long tresses and a flowing cape pranced in the air. Soon, everyone could see the magician's true shape in ghost form. And everyone was just as disappointed.<br>"A… little girl?" Impa asked, holding her breath. "The legends tell nothing of… I thought that… what is this!?"  
>"I am no 'this', madam!" the ghost answered. Her voice echoed and was faint, as if she was speaking from somewhere far away. "I am a human being, and with a name, I need to tell thee! – 'tis Violet, it is. I must say, I am honoured to make your acquaintance, noble strangers. But, pray tell… what be this place, where we are?"<br>She looked around, not sure what to say or do. Link viewed her strange appearance. Violet had long tresses, sort of huge eyes, was robed, caped, and looked no older than eleven years old. Her colourless body floated in the air, moving slowly, like a bobber in water.  
>"Good afternoon, Violet", princess Zelda greeted. "What you see here is Hyrule Castle."<br>"The castle!" Violet blurted out. "The great castle of the even greater Hyrule! What reason is there for me to be here? I have never set foot outside my dear home village in my entire life!"  
>"Well, you were brought here as a gift to the Royal Family", the soldier boy said. Then he realized what he had said, and mumbled: "Oh, in a… manner of speaking."<br>"Gift? Me?" Violet's gaze stared emptily at him. "Just like… like a simple slave? Over my dead body!" she screamed. "They will have to execute me before I ever give my body, mind, heart, soul or anything alike to anyone or anything! Nobody will ever get me, I swear, not as long as I live!"  
>"That's right", Zelda said, a little awkwardly. "Because… well, you see, miss Violet… um… you are not alive anymore."<br>The silence was pressuring. As the ghost looked upon her hands, proceeding to explore the rest of her entire body, discovering that indeed, she was dead, and permeable, and sort of see-through, and… dead.  
>"Oh", she let out. "Oh."<br>"I'm sorry to tell you", the princess said," but we do not have the time to dawdle with this."  
>She explained the situation, slow and in detail. Violet nodded and listened carefully, but looked sadder and sadder for each word the princess pronounced. When the story had ended, Violet curtseyed and said:<br>"As much as I'm honoured to stand in front of thee; I beg of thy pardon, thy Grace, but I cannot aid thee in this quest; for I am nothing but a magician's apprentice. I have never experienced any sorts of advanced magic, and I cannot tell anyone at all much about the Great Battle. My memory is lost; and I… I thought…" Violet silenced. She blinked her eyes, probably to get rid of tears, but she could no longer cry. Not physically, at least.  
>"I would love to help the Royal Family, Hyrule, and its entire people, oh, if I ever just could", she stated. "But alas; there is nothing I can do, for I am…" Violet doubted a little," … not what you look for."<br>"I'm certain that we can have use of you in some way", Zelda stated. "You can accompany Link, so he won't feel so alone. Besides, I'm afraid that we cannot undo what's been done and seal you back in this hourglass…" the princess pointed at the shattered glass", for it's broken. And who knows, maybe your memories will come back in time?"  
>"Who does know, indeed", Violet mumbled gloomily, but then agreed to go with Link. It was true that it was better to do that than nothing.<br>The princess gave him a letter that he would give to the Prisoner's guardian, marked out on his map where to go, and Impa armed Link with a new sword and shield, so he could fight the enemies easier. The soldier boy by her side nodded admiringly; that was good stuff that Link was given. He asked if they could train together sometime when the war was over. Or before, if they ever got the time. Link agreed.  
>Then, he looked at Violet with an adventurous look in his eyes.<br>"Let's go, then", Link smiled. "Let's go save Hyrule."  
>"I wish you good luck on your journey", Zelda waved, and so, they were off.<br>Link felt his heart beating faster than ever. He had an important mission. He would save Hyrule. Everyone's lives depended on his actions from now on.  
>With trembling steps Link exited the castle and looked at the bright, clear sky. All the possible hazards and horrors in the world were just a step away. What kind of dangerous adventures awaited him? Hyrule was a big land, still full of unexplored areas. Enemies awaited just around the corner, the evil wizard's minions were already set loose. Link took a deep breath. He had to stay brave.<br>And so, together with Violet, he was off.


	9. Chapter 9: Fairy Queen and the Prisoner

**Chapter nine**

Link rushed through town. Nobody took notice of him, nor of Violet, which was odd, because it wasn't every day people saw ghosts in broad daylight. Well, what did that matter.  
>Outside the castle town walls, Link took a gander at the map. They needed to head southeast, towards the depths of the Great Woods – but not really into them.<br>Link glanced at Violet. She floated about, looking around. Apparently she was fascinated with what Hyrule had become in just a hundred years. Plus, she had never been to the castle in her entire life.  
>"The building is unnaturally huge!" she exclaimed, exploring it as she flew around. "It is so fascinating, never have I seen anything alike!"<br>"We'll get plenty of time to look at it later", Link said and rolled the map back into a scroll, "let's move forward for now. Have you ever been to the Great Woods?"  
>"Never", Violet replied. "Never have I left my home village dearest. Kakariko sure was the greatest place to live. Well, until… until that doomed day, that is."<br>"When the wizard came."  
>"Precisely, honoured knight."<br>Link smiled tiredly.  
>"Let's cut the titles, shall we? I'm just a person, like you. We have lots to do and we need to hurry doing them."<br>"Or we will surely face certain doom", Violet said, with some sort of ironic glee in her voice. Link didn't like her tone.  
>They kept on walking all day. Well, Violet could fly, so for her it was easy to travel. Link got tired fast, as he hadn't slept or eaten well in a few days. When he had went to the Prisoner's jail he simply had to swing by Naavis to get some of that delicious pumpkin soup before going back to Hyrule Castle. Link was sure that was excusable. After all, he would need to be alive to deliver the information back to them. And to stay alive he needed to eat. And sleep, he thought longingly, as he took a few extra heavy steps onwards.<br>They met a lot of foul monsters on the fields. Some of them carried money and food, which Link took from them without even feeling the slightest of guilt. Violet said it would be quite alright; they were now dead (or at least nearly) after all, so what joy would they have of material possessions?  
>"Or of their limbs", she had added once, with a grim look on her face. Link felt too awkward to reply that comment in any way.<br>He did told of everything he had been through, though. How he got dragged into the war on beforehand, how a small town magician had been ruthlessly kidnapped. Violet listened to all of this and commented with rather sadistic points like "if a magician is kidnapped, then we are all doomed for real". Such a delight her company was.  
>Shamefully enough, they didn't meet with Aran on the way to the Prisoner. Link was sure he would've appreciated her company more than the sinister, old-fashioned Violet's. Not that Violet wasn't a bad person. There was just something about her that… he just didn't like. But sure, her company was better than none at all. This long journey would've felt terribly lonely if princess Zelda hadn't assigned her to come along.<br>It took nearly twenty-four hours for them to reach the edge of the woods, close to the place where the Prisoner resided, according to Zelda's mark on the map. Although walking in the woods in the dark didn't entice Link the slightest, he entered them. Again he was glad to have Violet with him. Her undead appearance gave off a faint shine that lit up the path in front of him. Gladly she agreed to go ahead and look for anything that could lead them to their destination.  
>"Over here are too many rocks and bushes to make way anywhere, oh dear… and to the left, the trees grow oh so much too close to each other… but, oh my! What ever could this be?"<br>Violet flied a few metres to the right. Link looked at her surroundings; it was hard to see, but he was sure that tree kind of looked like a gate of some sort. And beyond it shone lights. Dozens upon dozens of tiny, faint, pink lights.  
>This could get dangerous, Link thought, and readied his sword as he and Violet advanced towards the lights. Soon, they saw the moon showing from a hole in the forest above. A meadow. The trees didn't cover this place. And it shone ever so brightly, showing them where they had ended.<br>It was a little pond. Or rather, a kind of big pond, with grass and flowers and pretty vines everywhere around it. A few water lilies were floating on the surface. And everywhere flew bright, pink lights with wings.  
>"Fairies!" Link gasped. He had heard of them before, but never seen one in real life. They were beautiful. Like tiny pink stars, they lit up the place and made it feel warm and safe.<br>Violet seemed to like it, too. She flew with the fairies, laughing, playing with them. Teasingly, the fairies started a game of tag with her. The ghost enjoyed everything to the fullest, and Link smiled as he looked at the scenery. Somehow, he just felt so unnaturally happy, like all of his worries, weariness and hunger had just disappeared with the fairies' magic presence.  
>Violet looked at Link and waved for him to come and play with her, but before he could even take a step forward, her face changed. She opened her eyes and mouth wide, staring at something behind Link, gasping with fear.<p>

Link felt something overwhelming behind him.  
>"Travellers", a mighty but peaceful voice spoke. "What brings you to this sacred fountain?"<br>He turned around. There stood a tall, glowing figure, dressed in a slim gown, long hair, and shone of blue light. The woman wore a tiara and emitted extremely strong magic. Link took a few steps back.  
>"Do not worry. I mean no harm. For you see, I am the Queen of the Fairies", she spoke, just as calm as before. "You look weary, and your clothes are torn. Let me restore that for you."<br>She waved her hands. A magical wind blew around Link and sent him levitating for a few minutes. Link closed his eyes and enjoyed the calm feeling. The wind smelt like flower petals.  
>After a short moment, the healing was done. The Hero's garb was fixed up – and what an improvement! It looked like brand new! Also it felt a lot better to wear now, Link thought pleased. Violet stared with impressed eyes at the complicated magic that the Fairy Queen just had performed. The latter mentioned smiled bleakly at the ghost. Then she said to Link with a smile:<br>"You wear the sacred clothes of the third Hero of Men. They fit you." Her face dropped the joy as she continued, "I believe you have something to tell me, do you not? I feel it… your heart is heavy with sadness."  
>Link told her about the war. The Fairy Queen nodded slowly.<br>"Let us walk. Tell me about everything and what you need to know."

After a little walk around the fairy pond, Link had explained everything with a little help of Violet. It was hard for Link to understand all of her complicated words, but the Fairy Queen comprehended everything. She nodded now and then, commenting on nothing.  
>When the explanation had ended, she said:<br>"How unfortunate for all of us. We need to save the lands as soon as possible, and you indeed need to speak to the Prisoner. However, I wonder how much of help she would be… after all, she is…" The Fairy Queen doubted, "hm, but that is not important. The princess was right to send you here. May I see her letter?"  
>Link gave her the letter. With great interest, the Fairy Queen read it word for word. Then she turned to Violet.<br>"Young woman, undead spirit of magician's art", she begun, "would you like to aid the living in the rescue of Hyrule?"  
>"Oh, do I ever!" Violet replied. "Tell me, thy Grace, how I could do such a marvellous thing!"<br>"To start with, as you are a past magician's apprentice, I will restore your magical abilities so you can use them in your current form."  
>At first, Violet looked happy. Seconds later, she looked sadder than a child that just had been robbed of its toys.<br>"I am afraid I cannot, even if you gave them back to me…"  
>"Why so?"<br>Violet sighed. With her left hand, she grabbed her right shoulder and whispered:  
>"Even if I am undead, there are some spells I cannot cast. For you see…"<br>She slowly lifted her cape. Where another arm should've been, there was just a lump.  
>"I lack my right arm, the one mostly used for magic before my unfortunate death. I can use my left arm, but it is not as effective… I apologize for this inconvenience, thy Grace."<br>The Fairy Queen looked disappointed.  
>"That is indeed a shame. I sense great power streaming from within you, and how much I ever wanted to, I can't give you a new arm. However…" the Queen silenced and blinked her eyes three times, "there possibly is someone that could…"<br>Link and Violet looked at the majestic fairy. Okay, why not, it sounded great, Link thought. But Violet digressed.  
>"That sounds like highly dangerous and dark magic, if you excuse my doubts, thy Grace…"<br>"Indeed you are right. But it could do you good. At the same time, I have another gift for you. I, and the Prisoner, will give you all the information you can have to aid this young man in his quest. Enemies, life source and knowledge of the later days. Combined with your ancient lore, you should be the ideal companion for this task."  
>She led them to a cave at the end of the meadow. At the entrance she turned around and warned them that this could get dangerous, and that they would need to stand behind her all the time. When sworn this promise, they entered.<br>The inside of the cave was dark and damp. Dripping water echoed everywhere, as did Link's footsteps as he continued down the tunnel, deeper and deeper underground. Suddenly, the Fairy Queen lit up lighter than the moon, and said with a loud voice:  
>"Are you there, imprisoned one!?"<br>Nothing was heard.  
>"I said; are you there!?"<br>This time, a faint rustling sound was heard, like someone was shaking chains.  
>"Follow me", the Fairy Queen said shortly as the reached the end of the tunnel.<br>There sat a lonely, robed figure; its wounded legs stretched out on the ground, looking pale and gray under its torn, dark purple cape. Four heavy chains secured it there. A mask was put on its face; it was plainly black, with three white circles in the places of mouth and eyes.  
>So this was the Prisoner that princess Zelda had talked about, Link thought. His assumption was confirmed by the Fairy Queen only seconds later, for she said with a very stern voice:<br>"Prisoner of mine. I hope you have been up to no mischief as of late."  
>The Prisoner rustled her chains.<br>"Good. Take a look at these two brave adventurers."  
>The Prisoner obeyed. Through the mask, she stared at them plainly. Link wondered how she could see anything at all, for it looked solid with no holes for the eyes.<br>"You will aid them in their quest", the Fairy Queen continued, "and you will give them your all. They will try to fix a rather unfortunate event that currently has risen", she ended plainly. "Now, I command you; give them your power. Now."  
>The Prisoner nodded and rustled her chains a little bit louder this time. Apparently, that was her way to communicate. Then, something amazing happened.<br>From the Prisoner's body, a dark fog radiated. It was accented with purple and orange lights and looked very, very dangerous. It rose slowly up from her body and stayed there for a little while. Then, with astonishing speed, it hit Violet's body.  
>Violet groaned in pain. Well, that's what Link assumed that she did, because she actually looked like she was suffering. The Fairy Queen seemed to think alike. She turned to the Prisoner with fulminant eyes, and her light aura burned as bright as fire. Just as she was about to charge at her imprisoned, a giant, dark arm shot out from the place of Violet's missing limb.<p>

"You were very lucky this time", the Fairy Queen hissed. "But that's not all that I asked you of. Let us test your knowledge, young ghost", she said, turning to Violet. "What are this beasts roaming the land now?"  
>"Well…" Violet silenced to think. "Apart from being the foul wizard's minions, they are also beings of darkness; a shadow magic that he had mastered ancient times ago, which would shamefully enough mean to the fact that they are not really beasts. They are merely transformed creatures, or they are shadows, processed to take solid form, in any form. Thus, they can reappear even after dying once."<br>The Fairy Queen looked very impressed at Violet.  
>"And what information do you have of the wizard?"<br>"His magically empowered seal was broken", Violet said. "The deed was done during a weak, unguarded moment. It was a well planned attempt, plotted by a cruel and evil mastermind. The wizard was released to bring back the outcasts to Hyrule."  
>Once again, the Fairy Queen seemed struck with awe. She gave the Prisoner a somewhat satisfied look.<br>"This will do", she said plainly. "Thank you for your cooperation."  
>"Hold on a moment, if thee may, thy Grace", Violet said. "We were sent here to get to know a sacred sword."<br>"The one of legends? I'm afraid it's impossible to reach", the Fairy Queen replied with a deep sadness in her voice. "I believe we cannot do anything about it, so we simply have to do without it. Magical weapons are hard to come by, and this one is especially hard to find, as it hasn't been used or seen in such a long time, and sealed away in a place that's impossible to open, that is, if it is…"  
>But someone interrupted the Fairy Queen before she was able to finish her sentence. The Prisoner looked up – and spoke.<br>"A sword?" she said with a soft voice. "I know of a holy sword."  
>"Of course you do", the Fairy Queen snubbed, "after all, it was you who… wait. Do you know where it is, imprisoned one?"<br>"I know of a holy sword, yes", the Prisoner repeated. "I know that the only way to get to it this day is through collecting pieces of a relic that each tribe has. A gift from the Royal Family, when they settled back into Hyrule. As a sign of their trust to their new-found friends and possible allies. Gather all of the relics. Return when you have collected every single one of them, and I will tell you where the sword is located", her voice echoed, bouncing the walls of the cave and all the way out into the open air.  
>"Why can't you tell me now?"<br>"It is impossible. It needs translation."  
>"Why is that?"<br>The Prisoner silenced. Then, she looked up at Link. Her empty mask faced his living face that was distorted in confusion.  
>"I can help you get it", she said. "That would be a lot easier for us both."<br>Link was just about to accept – any help now would be good – but the Fairy Queen forestalled him by saying:  
>"No! This is quite enough. We have enough information for this now, and he will return to the castle. We will leave you alone now."<br>And so they exited the cave, with a tense feeling filling their hearts. The Prisoner sadly rustled her chains as they left, and soon she was all alone again.

Outside, the Fairy Queen apologized for coming off as harsh. She explained that it was the only way to keep her Prisoner under control.  
>"Well, young warrior", said she, "now that you have this information, you should hurry back to Hyrule Castle and pass the information on to the princess. I wish both of you luck. Young ghost, I hope that your new powers will aid you and the land in many great ways."<br>"Oh, pardon? Yes, yes… I do hope so myself, really", Violet said. "She had been playing with magic ever since they got out of that cave, and her arm looked so fierce and strong, that she and Link were ready to kick some enemies' butts right away.  
>"This is indeed a truly omnipotent gift", Violet exclaimed happily. "Never have I been blessed with such power! I need to thank the imprisoned one when all of this has ended."<br>"No need", the Fairy Queen said sourly. "Now, off you go."

They did as she wanted them to and left the fairy fountain far behind. The morning sun was rising, and Hyrule Field had never looked so beautiful. Indeed, on their way back they slew a few enemies, and even though Violet could not touch them, she could help him end the battles quicker by pinpointing their weak spots.  
>"This is a very handy piece of lore, it is!" she exclaimed happily as she flied across the fight, trying to hit the enemies face. But the enemy just shook its head and didn't take any further notice of the ghost that annoyed it. Link killed it and they reached Hyrule Castle a short while after that.<br>But before they could pass through the entrance someone rushed out. A Hyrulean soldier. He was armed with a sword and a bludgeon, and he rushed right towards Link, ready to attack him.


	10. Chapter 10: Impa's favourite soldier

**Chapter ten**

Right in the nick of time, Link had reacted and jumped away, but the soldier just kept swinging his weapons around like crazy. And for some reason, he growled.  
>"Oh no!" shouted Violet. "This one has been possessed! In his heart lies now a shadow transformer, I believe! It possesses a lot of power of its own to turn into all shapes and sizes it ever could desire! Watch out, sir Link!"<br>Link thanked for the advice – or, well, he would have if it wouldn't have been so busy fighting the soldier. He had faced enemies before and he fenced well, but he was unsure that he could handle this on his own. The only way would be to kill him.  
>When the soldier swung his bludgeon right at Link's face, he had no choice. Link stung his sword into his leg. Luckily the soldier's armour was impenetrable, but it still damaged him in some way. Droplets of blood spouted out from the holes in his chainmail. The soldier screamed loudly, and Link was just about to finish him off when someone shouted:<br>"Do not kill that soldier!"  
>From the castle, Impa came rushing out. She was armed with her giant sword and looked angrily at Link.<br>"He…"  
>"What's happening here!?" sounded a familiar voice.<br>It was Aran! She had hurried to the scene of commotion, interrupting Impa, who gave the young girl an annoyed glance.  
>"Run, little girl!" she shouted. "This here is dangerous – Link, watch out! – no, don't try to hit him!"<br>Impa circled around the soldier, trying to attack him without her weapon. Luckily for her, the soldier was busy with his attempt to possibly behead Link. Violet shouted:  
>"We need magic to cure him! Nothing else, and I swear on this, will make him well again! Hold on, I will try a spell!"<br>Violet mumbled something, and shot a ray of dark light at the soldier. It didn't work. Quite on the contrary – he seemed more agitated than before. Things were getting really bad when Impa got a scratch mark right across her face.  
>"We need to transport him back to the Fairy Queen!" Link shouted. "She can fix him!"<br>"We can't!" Impa shouted, struggling to hold the raging soldier back. "It's too far away!"  
>"No! Wait! I know how to fix him!"<br>Before someone had reacted, Aran ran up to the soldier and tore off his helmet. Link recognized him as Impa's friend, the blond boy. Now Aran blew some kind of sparkling dust into his face. She even shoved some of it into his mouth.  
>The soldier boy rampaged and screamed like a wild animal, but soon enough – to everybody's amazement! – he calmed down. After a while he fell lifeless and limp into Impa's arms.<br>"He's fainted", explained Aran. "But he should be well now. I hope. Good job, everyone! Especially you, miss general. You have such strong arms!"  
>Impa didn't reply.<br>"Your efforts were great, too, miss ghost", Aran continued, turned to Violet, "but you shouldn't interfere with your magic. Yours and the dark power seem too similar. It will probably only help them grow."  
>"Oh", Violet said disappointedly, looking at both her hands. "I hope you humbly accept my apology, madam, for I knew nothing about this."<br>"Wait, how did you get this magical power? Weren't you stored without it?" Impa asked with a raised eyebrow.  
>"Let's talk about this when princess Zelda is present. More importantly for now; Aran, how do <em>you<em> know all this stuff about magic?" Link asked.  
>Aran smiled.<br>"That's a secret", she hummed.  
>"Secret or not, you should tell about it to the princess. Speaking of that, Link, we should hurry back. She is awaiting your return anxiously."<br>With the soldier boy in her arms, Impa led the rest into the castle.

Princess Zelda stood alone in the same room where they had parted last time. She was looking out the window, at the bright blue sky outside. A stormy cloud had appeared in the far east.  
>When Impa and her entourage entered the room, Zelda turned immediately to Link with a sad smile.<br>"You look different from last time. Braver. Wiser. What have you learnt?"  
>Link told her all about what had happened. All listened well, especially Aran, who had a serious look on her face. The kid is more mature than many people her age, Link thought. More mature than Violet, and both seemed to be at least somewhat in the same age.<br>When he was done with explaining about the relics and the holy sword, Zelda said:  
>"I knew there was a way to reach it! Now, all we do is have to find out what these relics are and how to get them… and all of the tribes in Hyrule. You're going to do a lot of travelling in the future, Link… and there are so many to start with."<br>"Oh, yes! For example, we have the Gorons", said Aran, "or the Pazoras, or the pirates, or the Sheikah, or the desert people, or the Kikwis out in the forest, or… there are so many."  
>"Indeed", the princess said. "The Prisoner mentioned relics… that can only mean…" she paused a while, before she slowly started to explain:<br>"There is an addition to the legend, where the Hero got a scroll from the gods. In that scroll, stood the words that would be used in the ultimate desperate need… this would be it, don't you think? … and then, as a sign of trust… as the Prisoner said… it was divided into four pieces. Three were given away to the tribes; and the last one was hidden somewhere in Hyrule Castle… or at least that's what I've heard."  
>Impa nodded.<br>"Good. So which are these three tribes?  
>"If I may answer that question, milady?" asked Violet. "One was supposedly hidden somewhere impossible to reach."<br>"The lost land of the birds?" Aran asked. "Isn't that just a fairytale?"  
>"Sounds much like one", Impa huffed. "We don't have time to look for the relics in every place possible! We need to move fast!"<br>"We are in full agreement", Violet said. "Time is short, and there are so many things that need to be done. But alas; how can we research about the matter?"  
>"May I suggest", Aran said, "the town library? Its books and workers have a lot of information to distribute. If it's not in the castle, or among any of the tribes, we will know where to look in case of a dead end."<br>Princess Zelda gave the girl a very impressed look.  
>"You seem to know your things" she said. "How is that?"<br>"I grew up in the library", Aran said, "and together with the old witch and her apprentice in the forest. They kind of took me in and then arranged it for me to move to the Castle town."  
>"Aha, so you are Castor's and Pollux' surrogate daughter!" Zelda exclaimed. "I'm pleased to finally meet you, in spite of the dire times."<br>She curtseyed, and Aran replied by curtseying even deeper. Then the princess continued:  
>"We will set out troops to gather information and ask about the scroll pieces. So, according to what we know, the resettled tribes are the Gorons, the Kikwis, and the Pazoras, formerly known as Parellas. I will send you, Impa, together with a few soldiers to your home town to question the Gorons of the matter. Pazoras and Kikwis, on the other hand, are harder to find, as both tribes are hidden…"<br>"Your Highness, that will not be a problem", exclaimed Aran. "I have travelled all of Hyrule and I know where their domains are."  
>The princess looked delighted at the little girl, who seemed to be the hero of the hour. Therefore, she gave her a special mission.<br>"Aran, can I ask you to do the research in the library? You know it the best of all."  
>"I'm on it, your highness! I want to help as much as I can!"<br>Violet soared in the air, with a sorrowful look on her face.  
>"Thy Grace, I just remembered…"<br>"Yes?" Zelda wondered. Then she looked oddly at the ghost, who had stayed silent almost all of the planning. Now, she seemed scared of something. Very scared.  
>"Thy Grace…" she begun again, with a clattering voice.<br>"What is it, miss Violet?" asked the princess.  
>"I remembered… there's another one."<br>"Another… what?"  
>"Another evil… a great one… I saw him… fire… stone… dark, ancient magic… lightning and thunder, glowing eyes, red hair… I saw him… I… he… k-k…"<br>Violet's eyes were filled with fear, and they unfocused more and more as she grabbed her own head. It looked funny with her odd pair of arms, if it wasn't for her face… and the muttering sound which slowly turned into a panicked scream.  
>Link tried to grab her shoulder and jolt her back to sense, but it was hard to touch the immaterial undead. Soon enough, Violet calmed down and shook her head. Tears dripped from her lashes. With a murmuring voice, she said:<br>"I beg of thy pardon, thy Grace, I just… lost myself in a blur of nothingness and then sputtered so much incoherent nonsense."  
>"It's quite alright, Violet", the princess comforted. "It sounded like it could help us. If you remember anything important again, tell Link at once. The information you carry, your lost memories, might be vital for all of us to know."<br>"Yes, thy Grace," Violet nodded sadly.  
>"Well, then…"<br>The princess grabbed her sword.  
>"I have some politic errands to take care of. Link, Violet… you may leave. Go wherever you wish. Miss Aran, could you please mark out the tribes' habitats on the map for Link? Feel free to try to pursue any of them. Impa, you can set out at once, too. Bring all the forces you need with you."<br>After a little while, everyone dismissed. When Link was updated with the information, he turned to Violet and asked where she felt like heading first.  
>"I… can decide the route of our journey?" she gasped in surprise.<br>"Of course", Link smiled." Where do you want to go?"  
>Violet pondered for a little while.<br>"Alright, sir Link… let us go back to the forest. Let us find those legendary Kikwi beings."  
>And so they left.<p>

___**- **__**E**__**nd**____**of part two**__****_


	11. Chapter 11: First level - the woods

_**P**__**art three**_

**Chapter eleven**

"Okay… so, the Kikwis are a shy, small, wooden people?" Link asked.  
>"According to what I have gathered, yes", Violet confirmed. "They fear big things, humans and loud noises; thus they decided to hide, deep in the forest, where they could live in peace."<br>"Sounds sensible."  
>Link and Violet had been walking for a whole day. Now they were finally back in the forest, this time in the very green and wild Faron Province. On their way deeper into the woods, they swung by the Fairy's Fountain to heal and were even offered a companion fairy in case Link would need immediate healing.<br>"But be sure to release her after one spell", the Fairy Queen warned. "She will be very tired after such a long journey and longs for home."  
>Link promised to do so. As they walked deeper into the forest, they found friendly animals, pretty trees and plants. Shame that there also were some weird beasts roaming the woods. However, with the help of Violet, Link was able to slay them easily, and each time he did, they disappeared with a "poof", leaving a purple cloud after them, that slowly disappeared into thin air. Sometimes their things were left behind, past belongings, which Link could loot freely without feeling bad. Especially now that he knew that the beasts were no real creatures. Or… at least some of them. There were monsters that Violet didn't have much information about, but Link slew them anyways.<br>The forest was bright and calm otherwise. Everything was so green and soothing, and Link really felt at home among the trees. He would have loved to stay and look at things if he wasn't in a hurry. Therefore he soon got very impatient.  
>"How are we going to find them? By just… walking around?"<br>"I see no better option, sir Link", Violet said sagely. "Mayhaps, if we are in luck, we can stumble upon a Kikwi or two."  
>"Yeah. Right."<br>And right at that moment, Link stepped on something.  
>"Don't eat me! Don't eat me!" a squeaky voice called.<br>Link took a few steps back and looked at the ground. Around him was a lot of tall grass, so he really couldn't see anyone. Was there someone hiding in the wilderness?  
>As it turned out – yes. A weird creature, looking sort of like a giant hedgehog with tall grass on its back popped up, shivering.<br>"Don't eat me!" it repeated again and again.  
>"We found one!" Violet shouted gleefully, "sir Link, we found a Kikwi!"<br>"Oh, no, what are you going to do to me!?" shrieked the Kikwi and covered its eyes with its teeny-tiny paws. Link kneeled, so his face was on the same level as the Kikwi's.  
>"Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything to you", he said in a friendly tone. "I just have a few questions for you."<br>"If you want to eat my brothers and sisters, you can't! I won't lead you to them!"  
>"Relax. Nobody said anything about eating."<br>"Sir, or madam, honoured Kikwi", begun Violet solemnly. "We are here on a mission from the princess of the land, her Grace Princess Zelda. We wish for your aid in conquering a great evil. One that is after the entire land of Hyrule. Help us, or everyone will be endangered!"  
>The Kikwi gave her a confused look.<br>"Umm… I'm sorry… but what was that? I heard… something. Like a whisper. But there's nobody here. Except you, mister big green guy… am I going crazy?"  
>Link blinked. He looked at the Kikwi, and then at Violet, and then again at the Kikwi. Then it hit him.<br>"Violet, the Kikwi can't see you!"  
>"Who is this Violet?"<br>"Never mind. Let me explain why I'm here."  
>Link told the Kikwi, who listened to him, very eased that Link wasn't any danger to it after all. Unfortunately, it couldn't help him.<br>"But I know someone who can!" said the Kikwi eagerly. "He's going to be delighted. He hasn't had visitors in a very long time, he said. Follow me!"

Link and Violet followed the Kikwi into a tiny village. There were other fellow Kikwis who were a little bit scared of the tall stranger, but welcomed him merrily once they had been assured that he meant no harm.  
>"Unlike some other people", sighed a Kikwi with an extremely squeaky voice. "They have gone completely wild! Running amok in the woods…"<br>"Who are?" Link asked.  
>"Our friends, the Deku Scrubs."<br>"Deku Scrubs?"  
>Link had never heard of such a thing. He gave Violet a look, and she mumbled:<br>"A wooden worm that cannot last long without water. Prefer damp areas for living. Many of their kin work within merchandise and selling."  
>The hero nodded slowly as the Kikwis gave him a much worse explanation about how the Dekus, as they called them for short, used to be their friends, but now they've suddenly gone nuts and spat… well, nuts, at the Kikwis.<br>"Luckily the great one hasn't been infected yet!" another Kikwi exclaimed. "Oh, that's right! You should meet him to ask of that… scroll thing… that you wanted! Follow me, mister Hero!"  
>An awful lot of following these little critters around, Link thought as he wandered slowly after the Kikwi – and ended up in a meadow so astonishing, that he had to take a few steps back to admire it.<br>It was huge, light and so green – filled with various plants, both exotic as familiar. In the middle of the whole place stood a tree with… a face.  
>Sure, the face was rough and simple, and it looked like a relatively young tree. Its eyes were small, but clear, under what looked like a pair of huge eyebrows. When it laid eyes upon Link, it begun to talk.<br>"Welcome, young man", he said, "and welcome, young spirit. I hope you do not bring me any bad news."  
>"Uh…" Violet said, "unfortunately, we do… oh, Great Speaking Tree…"<br>"Just 'Great Tree' is enough, milady", smiled the tree. The whole thing felt so odd.  
>"I see. Well… we need to speak with you…"<br>During Violet explaining the whole deal to the Great Tree, his face grew more and more worried. When she finally had finished her story, he said:  
>"It seems like you are almost too late. The darkness has already begun spreading."<br>"What!?" Link and Violet shouted out in unison.

"Yes", the Great Tree said with a sad voice, "because you see, this forest is already infested with a parasite… making me and my children feel very… ill. Some of them have even lost their roots and begun walking freely, with the poison in their bodies, making life terrible for the friendly Kikwis – their fellow lodgers of the Great Forest."  
>The Great Tree paused a little before he continued:<br>"I feel my roots loosening as well. Please, help me first, and then we can discuss about the scroll."  
>"You have it!?" Violet shouted out. "I thought that the leader of the Kikwis had it!"<br>"He is indeed the one who held it. Up until now. The Kikwi Elder is… no longer among us", the Great Tree said with regret. "He died, trying to protect me and my children from the parasite. He wanted to save us all… but he was too weak and elderly to do anything about it. The parasite killed him."  
>Violet and Link shivered.<br>"And you want us to face it instead?"  
>"I see no choice… please, help me, before I die."<br>The adventurers looked at each other.  
>"What do you think?" Link asked. "Should we help him first?"<br>"Seems only right", replied Violet. "If we indeed defeat the parasite; the Great Tree will know that he can trust us. And we hinder the parasite from spreading even further. Who knows what damage it could cause other habitants of the forest? Besides, but it is only my guess; I believe that you are much bigger and stronger and braver than a Kikwi leader."  
>They silenced for a second. Then Link nodded, and asked the Great Tree:<br>"How do we find the parasite?"

The parasite was located deep underground, somewhere among the tips of the Great Tree's roots.  
>"You must be careful when you walk in the tunnels!" warned the Tree. "They can be extremely unstable sometimes, and you may die if you are not careful enough! Here, take this weapon, it will aid you in your quest."<br>Link didn't like the sound of all the death stuff, but still accepted the bow and arrow he was gifted. With a resentful heart, he went through the entrance to the underground cave which the Kikwi from earlier kindly had guided them too.  
>Inside, it was dark and damp. The only light that was visible came from sunrays that shone through random holes in the ground above, and… sometimes… torches. Link didn't understand why live fire was kept under a tree, not to mention a giant, speaking tree that communicated with mammals, but it was beyond his understanding. He had only one mission; to eliminate the parasite.<br>The way to it turned out to be hard and long. Link had to battle a lot of weird monsters, among them the Deku Scrubs. Violet told that his best call was to use his shield to bounce the nuts they spat. It sent them into a fainting state and they disappeared deep into the ground, not bothering them again.  
>Violet did help out a lot in the cave. She helped to dowse for objects in the cave, such as a map and a compass and keys (Link had no idea how or why they got there, but as long as they made any kind of progress, he was happy). Oh, and there were puzzles. Lots and lots of strange puzzles that Link had to solve before being able to even open some of the doors. If it hadn't been for Violet's advices, he had been completely lost.<br>They found a lot of unpleasant riddles, and somewhere in a small, dark room, they found the corpse of the Kikwi elder. Violet shed a few tears upon seeing it.  
>"We have nothing to do here", she said. "Come, let us find the culprit of this foul deed."<br>The journey kept on going, and going, and going. Link was tired, but Violet found fairies that healed him when he was in dire need of rest. That helped him to keep on moving as they made their way through the underground tunnels.  
>And finally, they reached the parasite.<br>It was a giant, spider-like creature, injecting its poison by biting and stinging its spiky claws into the roots of the Great Tree. Link could hear how the poor creature suffered. Apparently, he now was near a really bad state. Better kill the enemy before it was too late, Link decided and drew his sword.  
>The parasite finally noticed him. She looked with her bright read eye at him and hissed. Slowly, she started crawling towards Link, with her feelers raised, ready to attack.<br>"Watch out!" Violet called, and so the battle started.  
>Link danced around the parasite for a very long while. He tried slashing it, but her skin was hard as metal.<br>"Violet!" he shouted. "Do you have any information on how to beat this thing!?"  
>"Just a moment, sir Link, just a moment! I will analyze it!"<br>Violet circled around the parasite, disappearing into smoke every time it tried to touch her. That withdrew the parasite's attention for a while, and Link could focus on nursing his most acute wounds.  
>"Analyze complete!" Violet shouted. "This here is Paragohma, a horrible creature from another world! Her armour-like skin is no good to attack. Try slashing her weak point; her belly, or her eye!"<br>"How can I reach the belly when it's under her?! And the eye is too high up for me to reach!"  
>"Try the bow, sir!"<br>The bow! Of course! Why hadn't Lin thought of that earlier? So, with his newly received weapon, he shot a few arrows into the eye of the beast, and then slashed her soft stomach, repeating the process until she finally died.  
>"We did it, we did it!" Link danced. "Great!"<br>"You did a really good job, sir Link", said Violet smiling. "Now, let me take us out of here. I believe I have found a way to teleport you back to the Great Tree."

The Great Tree was pleased to hear the good news. He was already looking so much better.  
>"I will be nursed back to health by the Kikwis", he explained, "and my children. Some of they have turned back into normal already! And with the help of the Fairy Queen and her people, I believe that all of us will be completely restored."<br>"That's nice to hear", Link said. "Now, I'm sorry to be such a nagger, but what about the scroll?"  
>The Great Tree smiled.<br>"You have proven well that you are capable of handling this hard task, young hero", he said. "I will present you with the scroll piece at once."  
>He shook his uppermost branches, and down fell a little wooden box. It landed in front of Link's feet.<br>"Open it", said the Great Tree, "and take its contents with you. Or, if you would like it, take the whole box and collect all the pieces in it, so no damage may be done to them. Yes, take the box. You have earned it. And send the regards to the princess from me."  
>Link and Violet thanked the Great Tree from the depths of their hearts. And then, they left to seek out a new adventure.<p>

Just as he got out of the forest, Link heard a terribly loud scream.  
>"Incoming!" a girl shouted.<br>Seconds later, she crashed into him. Both lied on the ground, groaning from pain. The girl had hit him pretty hard. She had been flying right at him in a horrendous speed… wait. Flying?  
>Indeed. The girl had a broomstick in her hand, and she had a large bag and a red bandana with bunny ears on her traditional witch hat. She was shaking her head, mumbling on about what a horrible mess she had done. Lots of paper – letters? – were scattered everywhere on the ground.<br>"What… is the meaning of this?" Link asked.  
>"Oh… wait a minute, let me gather these… there!"<br>The witch stood up and handed him a letter.  
>"You are Link, are you not? I have a letter for you, from Impa."<br>Link accepted the letter and gave the witch a confused look.  
>"Why are you delivering this?"<br>"Part of my new part-time job!" she smiled. "My name is Poppy. It's nice to meet you! Aran told me you looked just like a knight, tee-hee!"  
>"Aran? You know her?"<br>"We are both sort of apprentices at the old forest witch's hut. You should come visit us sometime. I bet that she'd help you in your quest if you need to! And make sure you visit the postal office as well! My other boss is a great. He's a kind man who wants to open all communication channels in all of Hyrule and improve his health at the same time! The poor sod just hurt himself while running too fast. I will deliver all the mail until his broken leg has healed. Well, that was all the information and letters I have for you at the moment! I'll see you around! You too, miss ghost!"  
>And so, Poppy straddled her broomstick and took off into the bright blue skies, shouting "yahoo!" as she left.<br>Link shook his head and gave Violet a quick glance, who shrugged and suggested that he should open the letter. It could be something important.  
>Totally in agreement, Link opened it and began reading:<p>

_"__Link!_

_I hope things are going well on your end of the case. We need your help in Kakariko village. Come as fast as you can! We__'__re going to be in real trouble pretty soon if we can__'__t work things out with the Gorons__.__Hurry!_

_- Impa__."_


	12. Chapter 12: The strange town of Kakariko

**Chapter twelve**

"I wonder what's happened to them", Link said put away the letter. Kakariko, eh? Let me take a look at that map…"  
>"'Tis in the southeast, it is!" proclaimed Violet. "I know; for I derive from there. I am a humble citizen of the village of Kakariko, you see."<br>"Well, I still want to reassure myself of that."  
>Link opened the map and examined it. After a while, he said:<br>"You're wrong. Kakariko's not in the southwest."  
>"I beg your pardon!?" Violet burst out.<br>Link was right. According to Aran's hand-painted map, Kakariko was close to the Eldin Mountain in the northwest – the complete opposite direction.  
>"Oh… right", Violet said, disappointed. "According to what that Prisoner woman knows, it seems that Kakariko moved sometime after the foul wizard's attack."<br>"Right."  
>"And it… and it…"<br>Violet silenced. Her eyes were wide open, and her tiny body shook with fear.  
>"Do you remember something?" Link asked carefully. No reply.<br>"Hello?"  
>"I… I…"<br>Violet grabbed her head.  
>"No! Mother! Please! Do not leave, we need you… mother! No, you cannot…!"<br>Then, she let out a loud scream. It was so terribly high pitched that Link had to cover his ears. The scream lasted for many minutes. When Violet finally stopped, she was breathing heavily, hugging herself for comfort.  
>"What happened…?" Link wondered softly.<br>"I… my mother… sacrificed… something… someone… to the wizard. She was… one of… his minions. I saw… one of their rituals."  
>"Rituals?"<br>"Yes… they held them now and then, and oh… sir Link, I cannot remember anymore! I feel scared! I fear that they… they…"  
>Link tried to put his hands on her shoulders, but they went right through. So he held them hovering right above them, while he tried to cheer her up.<br>"Don't you worry", he said. "It's all in the past. Sure, it might be good you remember it, but it's long gone now. Things will be alright. Things are alright."  
>"But the wizard…"<br>"We will defeat him. I promise." Link smiled. "Let's just keep on doing our best. It's worked so far, hasn't it?"  
>Violet snivelled and hiccoughed a little. Then she wrapped her tiny ghost arms around Link and whispered:<br>"Thank you."

Well, their next mission awaited. Link examined the map again. The fastest way to Kakariko would be to cut through the forest and by the Fairy Queen's spring. According to the map, the residence of the Gorons was on the Eldin Mountain in the Eldin Province. So they would go through Hylia Province and then north…  
>Link sighed as he rolled the paper together again. It was going to be a long journey. Well, he better start walking and get on with it.<br>Several hours and a few monster battles later, Link and Violet finally arrived in Kakariko.  
>"My, it is beautiful!" exclaimed Violet. "Never have I seen such a flourishing village!"<br>"Better than the castle town?"  
>"Yes! It is even better than the castle town!"<br>As beautiful as it was, they had no time for sight-seeing now. The first thing they needed to do was to look for Impa. They asked a few people if they had seen her.  
>"Sure", a red-headed woman said, "go look in her house. Impa should be there. Planning something, I think. At least she looked very serious upon her arrival…"<br>"Thank you very much", Link replied.  
>"Oh, my, what a gorgeous house… and that well, and that mill, and that statue…"<br>"Yeah, yeah", Link said. "Let's have a look at those things when we've found Impa, okay?"  
>"Mmmh…"<br>Dreamingly, Violet came back, but still had a hard time taking her eyes off her surroundings. Everything was so marvellous, according to her. Even Impa's house.  
>"Such rustic design", she sighed happily. Link entered without any further thoughts.<br>Inside stood Impa and a few soldiers, among them the soldier boy from before, around a table. They were looking at a great sheet of paper. Upon the door opening and closing, they turned their faces to the new arrivals.  
>"Ah, Link", Impa exclaimed. "Good to see you. We have located one of the scroll pieces, but we are unable to obtain it. The Gorons are highly uncooperative. The chief's son is lost, and he blames us for kidnapping him… apparently he disappeared as soon as we arrived. A bunch of our soldiers have already been imprisoned. The Gorons refuse to release them until he see his son."<br>"Yeesh", Link gasped. "Harsh words."  
>"Indeed. It's a surprise, as the Gorons have always been so loyal and kind-hearted to us… but now… well, we need to find out what's wrong with them. As you and Violet have knowledge that we don't possess, why don't you go see if you can help us?"<br>"Uh… sure", Link said.  
>"Pray tell, why do you think we are more suited for the mission? What if we, and in that case, I mean the living sir Link, gets imprisoned as well? What will happen then?"<br>"Then you will come back to inform me", explained Impa simply. "Or try to free him with your magic, or anything else you can think of. Are you up for this quest?"  
>The soldiers looked strangely at their leader. That was a weird reply for the simple sentence "uh, sure." Seems like only some people could see and hear Violet. She and Link agreed on taking the mission. With Violet's powers as a safe reserve, nothing could go wrong.<br>"Good." Impa looked satisfied. "The trail you have to scale going there is full of dangers, so keep your eyes open. Everyone, we have a plan! Dismiss!"  
>And so the soldiers dismissed and went to explore Kakariko village further. Link stayed behind to talk a little more with Impa and the soldier boy, who now had regained consciousness and his own personality. He began talking to Link by taking his hand and apologizing.<br>"I'm sorry for trying to kill you", he said. "Well… haha… that came off weirder than I thought… anyways, I was under possession of some kind of darkness… Aran drove it out, and she's currently analyzing its precise… well… what it possibly could be", he ended sheepishly. "Miss Violet should pay them a visit. She could possibly help. Anyways, my point is that I'm sorry. My name is Sheik, by the way."  
>"Nice to meet you, Sheik", replied Link and shook his hand. "Impa, can you tell me more about this Goron tribe? About their leader?"<br>Impa took a deep breath.  
>"The Gorons have a strong sense of stubbornness", she explained. "They are strong, fiery, and proud. And very, very friendly towards everyone that wishes no harm. But for some reason… they like nobody now. I didn't want to tell the others; but the two of us saw how they attacked each other as well. Their eyes gleamed with ill will. Something is wrong with them."<br>"And you want Violet to analyze what it could be?"  
>"Yes", replied Impa. "And there's another thing. Violet, I need to ask you something."<br>"Yes, lady Impa?" asked Violet. "What needeth you of me?"  
>"There is something… odd about Kakariko. Dark powers radiating from a source underground… do you know anything about it?"<br>"More than anyone!" Link exclaimed. "Violet, tell them about your background and what you've remembered."  
>As Violet told them about practically everything she knew, she began to remember more and more, such as the Sheikah not being able to use much magic before, and that the wizard gave the ones that were interested a piece of his powers. Violet's mother had been one of the novices that signed up for it, apparently. That had turned her into a foul and weird creature that didn't put her best interest in her daughter.<br>Impa nodded in a very severe manner, but Sheik got excited.  
>"I never knew we had such an interesting heritage!" he exclaimed interested. "Who knew? Sure, it's dark and sad… but the culture! My, oh, my!"<br>"Sheik, calm down", Impa said.  
>"Sorry… I just wanted to know more about us. About me. About the warrioress I'm named after. She was there, wasn't she? The might Sheikah warrioress named Sheik. Fighting the wizard." Sheik laughed. "It's all just so… interesting."<br>"Another time", Impa said evadingly. "We have other matters to care of now."  
>"Yes. You're right. Sorry."<br>"Apology accepted. Now… Link, Violet… good luck. Let's meet when you return."  
>"Alright."<p>

The trail upward the mountain was indeed a very dangerous path. The Eldin Mountain was apparently a volcano, as it spat burning rocks that landed on some open grounds. The rocks didn't only get in Link's way and block his path forward; no, if really unlucky, it could kill him instantly. That was confirmed by a googly-eyed old man that Link met in a cave.  
>"It's dangerous to go alone, take this!" he stated and gave Link a bag of… bombs.<br>"They explode really loudly, and they hurt if you go too close!" warned the man.  
>"…Thank you", said Link who had no idea why the man would give him the weapon, but was grateful for the gift. Who knew, maybe he could have use of them?<br>Apparently, the man had handed out bombs to other people as well. Link met many hurt soldiers on his way that told him not to go close to the Gorons, but what choice did Link have? He had to continue, even if both humans and Gorons came in his way.  
>The latter mentioned actually tried to stop him. Like round rocks, they came rolling in a high speed down the mountain, aiming for Link. It was hard to get past them, but somehow, Link managed, and finally he came to the Gorons' lair – a huge cave. There, he was immediately captured by two guards and taken to their leader.<br>Link had no chance to get out of their grip. How incredibly strong they were! Those muscles sure looked like they took a long time to build – if they were muscles, that is. But they had to be. What else could they consist of, rocks? Besides, it looked like very hefty muscles usually did.  
>But the guards' muscles were puny compared to the chiefs. He stood, bearded and sour, looking at their new prisoner.<br>"Another human?" he snorted. "Throw him in the room with the other ones. Unless this one confesses that he stole my son!?"  
>Link shook his head. He wasn't guilty of such a thing.<br>"That little flying girl, then? Did she do it!?"  
>"Umm… what flying girl, chief?" one of the guards asked with a suspicious look.<br>The chieftain gave Violet a long, aggressive glare. Violet blushed and disappeared into nothingness.  
>"Eh, I must have imagined things", the Goron leader said. And in a blinding rage, he hit the wall with his fist. The room shook. Then, the chieftain proceeded to try hitting some of his fellow comrades, until some of them grabbed his arms and calmed him down. He groaned, clenching his teeth. With a panting voice he then said:<br>"Get everyone away from me. NOW."  
>And thus, Link was thrown into a tiny, dark cave with the other captured soldiers. Huge rocks were put in front of the entrance; that way they made sure that none of the humans would escape. In the room lied a few beaten up Gorons as well; however, they were so close to fainting, or already had fainted, that they were no longer perceptive of any communication. The human soldiers, bleeding and groaning from pain, didn't feel like speaking a lot either.<br>Link felt pretty hopeless, too. Violet's sudden disappearance made him worried. Had she returned to Impa already? Or had some of that Prisoner's magic consumed her, had Violet… double-died? No, no, no no no no NO! That could _not_ be! If then, they would all be doomed, and…  
>"That was a great new trick of mine! Was it not, sir Link?"<br>All of sudden, Violet appeared in front of his eyes! She was giggling merrily, twirling in the air. Link exhaled. Suddenly he felt so much more at ease.  
>"You scared me!" he said. "I thought you might be gone forever!"<br>"No way, sir Link", she replied delightfully. "I will never let you down."  
>"I appreciate that."<br>Violet smiled.  
>"So, shall I return to Kakariko and report to lady Impa? Although, there is not much to report… only that there are so many injured prisoners… and my analyze on the Goron chieftain is not complete, as he scared me, and… well, there is something odd about him, that is for sure… but that will have to wait for later. My first mission is to accompany you; and here I am. As long as the Goron head does not hurt any other people, he can wait until later."<br>Violet looked around with a worrying face.  
>"Also, I doubt that we can use my magic to free all of these poor men. The Gorons could attack, and then they would most certainly die. Look at their wounds! We have to sneak them out of here somehow."<br>"Yes, but how?"  
>Link and Violet began examining the cave. No one stopped him; both the Gorons and the humans were too weak to bother. Uncanny enough, Link found a little passage that he could crawl through. He pressed himself through the long hole and ended up in a much bigger, but hotter room. In the opposite wall was a crack.<br>"I think you should try blowing it up with one of those bombs", Violet said. "Explosives could always crack weak hindrances. And then, we could get everyone out this way!"  
>"Not the Gorons", Link said. "They're far too big. But you're right, this is some help, alright."<br>He placed a bomb right by the crack and waited. With delight, both noted that the crack turned into a much greater hole that they could walk through. But on the other side was no mountain trail. The floor was covered with red, hot lava, and scattered, hard rocks stood as unstable platforms here and there. Fire was everywhere. From the depths of the place they could hear a horrible sound, that sent the ground shaking wildly as something heavy was… fired into the air.  
>"Sir Link", said Violet slowly, "I think that we are inside the volcano."<p> 


	13. Chapter 13: Second level -Eldin Mountain

**Chapter thirteen**

It was hot in there. The volcano's inside seemed endless, as it continued deeper and deeper underground. There were lizards and flaming moths to fight against, and sure, it was hard in the heat, but otherwise Link would've died – and the hero of Hyrule couldn't die just yet, now, could he?  
>During the walking around, searching for a way out, they kept hearing that strange roar.<br>"Is it the Goron chieftain throwing tantrums?" Violet asked herself. "No… no, it could not possibly be. The Gorons live above the volcano. This comes from somewhere underground… deep, deep underground…"  
>They pondered about it while walking on – and oh! Finally! They found an exit! Link and Violet went through it and thought they were saved. Only to be hindered by… the old man from before. It was his cave that the entrance led to.<br>"You knew it, right?" the old man asked. "Sit down, let me tell you all about it. I've boiled some tea for us."  
>Link sat down on the ground as the hermit placed three cups on the ground. Apparently he was one of those who could see Violet. As kind as his gesture was, she wasn't able to drink any of the tea, but she could smell it.<br>"And it smells really good, like raspberry leaves and rosehip", she mumbled dreamily. "How I wish I could taste it."  
>"Maybe one day, miss", said the hermit. "Well, I believe it's time for me to begin my story."<br>He cleared his throat.  
>"I am the guardian of the volcano… a hermit that's vowed to protect it along with the Gorons, so it wouldn't hurt any of the mountain hikers or villagers in the little peaceful town of Kakariko. The Eldin mountain has always been known for its rather… aggressive outbursts now and then. It had stayed calm for a long while… until now. Oh, it's no natural cause that has upset it. A few days ago, two strangers appeared."<br>"I think I know who they are", Link nodded. "Please continue."  
>"They came with evil intentions in mind. They wanted the Gorons to side with them when Hyrule was theirs. Now, the Gorons are a strong and respected people; having them under control would mean that they could control pretty much all of Hyrule, using them as minions to have power over the physically weaker kindred. As soon as I got word of this, I tried to talk to Dargono, the chieftain of the Gorons. But I failed. An evil curse was already put upon him.<br>He resisted it, of course. Well, at least he tried, and he said that no curse could make him change is mind: Dargono is a very strong-willed soul, after all, and he would never aid any kind of cruelty. Not even when the strangers threatened to kill everyone in the tribe did he co-operate. But then… the strangers took his son and eloped."  
>Link almost choked on his tea. What a horrible thing to do!<br>"That's when the evil curse finally made it to his head", the elderly continued, and took a calm sip out of his cup. "He's trying to control it, but when he's desperate with rage and sorrow, the dark takes over his heart and affects his younger brothers in the Goron tribe. His attempt to protect everyone is to give them the image of going crazy. It isn't working very well, but I see why he's doing it."  
>The old man rolled one of his eyes. It looked creepy, as it already was kind of misplaced to start with, but neither Link not Violet dared to comment on anything. Instead, Violet asked:<br>"So, if we find the Goron chieftain Dargono's son… everything will go back to normal?"  
>"I don't know. But at least it won't hurt."<br>"How do we find him?"  
>The elderly smiled.<br>"Well, he's somewhere in the volcano. The strangers summoned a beast, a dragon-like creature, to eat Dargono's son. They threw the little boy into the volcano and let the dragon look for him. Any sensible soul would believe that he's already eaten, but… I believe that he's still alive. If not, then at least slaying the dragon would be enough to avenge him. I believe that Dargono will be grateful for it."  
>"Grateful enough to help me out?" Link wondered. The elderly smiled.<br>"I know your mission, hero", he said. "General Impa has already told me. That's why I have been telling you all this. If you need to rest or heal, feel free to come back to my cave anytime. If you need to get something from town, you know where the exit is. No? Alright. Now, back into the dungeon with you… may you find the chieftain's son well and alive."

Link entered the volcano again, this time with much more courage in his heart. He would find the dragon and kill it, if it was the last thing he'd ever do. Well… okay, maybe he didn't hope it was the last thing, but… it was a nice thing to think. Made it all sound a bit more serious.  
>With the help of Violet, he managed to solve more puzzles and defeat even more enemies. They seemed to be everywhere now! Like they never ended in quantity. And alas, no matter how much they looked, they still found no Goron baby. That meant that they had to find the dragon and kill it.<br>At last, he made it to the depths of the volcano – the bottom room, a dark, dry cave with interior made of smooth, black stone, and pillars, and a tiny, round pool of lava. There rested the armoured dragon – a foul creature breathing fire through its nostrils.  
>Link drew his sword. He was ready to face it.<br>"Hold it", a voice echoed.  
>It was Vesperan! She appeared from thin air and looked at Link.<br>"So, what my underlings said was accurate", she said. "You are trying to save Hyrule. How noble of you! Such a foul trick against our deal is however something we can't accept. My master had the princess' word that she would not resist. Guess we have to increase our power to take over Hyrule faster!"  
>"Release master Gabriel!" Link shouted and aimed his sword at her. "Where are you keeping him!? Give him back to us at once!"<br>"Oh, you wish."  
>Vesperan snapped her fingers. The dragon woke up and opened its green, glowing eyes. It was looking at Vesperan with the face of a loyal dog.<br>"Destroy him!" she screamed and pointed at Link, before adding: "I'm sorry, pretty boy. But we simply can't have you running around and mess with our plans, now, can we? But I can make the dragon kill you faster and less painful, if you wish. Oh, and don't worry about the Goron babe. That ugly rock as already been consumed, so your struggle was all in vain. The old man is alive, but barely. He might just even meet the same fate soon as the Goron, too! Haha! Good-bye!"  
>And then she disappeared again, laughing maliciously, ah, ha hah ha!<br>The next minute, the dragon started advancing towards Link, opening its mouth and exhaled hot, stinky smoke on his face. Link had to cough and close his eyes. The smoke was stinging him badly, even his skin hurt.  
>Up into the air the dragon flew, all its six paws ready and filled with claws, threatening to impregnate his skin and blood veins. Fire made the whole room feel hot and awful to walk around in, but Link didn't give up. The hero tried to swing his sword to hurt the dragon, but with all the metal in his way, he didn't even leave a scratch.<br>"Violet!" he yelled. "I need your help!"  
>"This here is the Black Dragon, Gava, a dragon created by sheer dark matter!" she shrieked. "His armour is of real metal. When he stands still, send a bomb flying his way, so it may crack! He has a soft spot on his belly, and that is where you must sting your sword!"<br>"Thanks!" Link said as he immediately took the piece of advice into action. Gava had just crawled up on the wall and the ceiling and now tried to land on Link, who had moved away in the last second. Gava fell flat on the floor. This was the time.  
>Link took a bomb in hand and threw it on the dragon. Its armour broke and revealed a soft, yellow stomach. Into that, Link sank his sword, and drilled even deeper while Gava shrieked out in pain, curled up like an insect, and died. The dragon disappeared in a huge, black cloud, and someone else turned up in its place instead.<br>"Good work, sir Link!" Violet exclaimed happily. "The dragon is dead!"  
>"But no Goron baby", Link sighed. "I guess I was hoping too much."<br>"Did you say… Goron baby?" a strange voice said.  
>Link and Violet turned their heads immediately towards the direction. There stood a strange, cloaked figure, in a red mantle and cape. Not even its face was visible; only two, bright, white eyes were seen. Link readied his sword.<br>"No, w-wait!" the cloaked one said. "I mean no harm! If you're looking for little Rumi, I have him here."  
>The cloaked one opened his cloak – under it seemed to be another cloak or robe – and a round, curled up rock that was snoring ever so lightly.<br>"He's sleeping", the cloaked one whispered. "We were both lost and scared when that dragon appeared in the volcano. Rumi was crying for his papa, so I said that I'll take care of him until papa comes to get him. I assume you're not his father?"  
>"Not really", said Link, "but I know him."<br>"Brilliant", the cloaked one said, "can you bring him here?"  
>"I think its best we go to him", Violet said and created a portal, "let us get out of this creepy dungeon to go see chieftain Dargono."<br>And so Link, followed by the strange, cloaked creature which introduced itself as a Subrosian, entered the portal and exited the cave.

The volcano had calmed down already when they ended up in the hermit's cave. The latter named flew up from the stone he was sitting on and gasped at the little rock in the Subrosian's arms.  
>"Is that… little Rumi!?" he asked. The Subrosian nodded, not sure what to answer. The hermit was overjoyed with glee.<br>"Quick! Dargono's waiting! Take Rumi to him immediately!"  
>They were not late to obey. Under bewildered and wondering looks from both Gorons and human soldiers on the mountain trail, they cheered as the heroes carried Rumi back to his father. Even the guardians by the entrance of the Goron village gasped upon the sight. They shoved the newcomers straight to their chieftain, shouting:<br>"He's back! Chief Dargono, Rumi is back!"  
>"Rumi…?"<br>Dargono turned around. His eyes and somewhat of his face were covered in dark, shiny matter, but his expression was no longer angry. It was surprised. And upon laying eyes on his son, snoozing in the arms of the Subrosian, his whole body fell limp.  
>"Rumi…!"<br>As he took a few steps forward, extending his arms to receive his sleeping son, the darkness disappeared. Dargono didn't even notice it. All he knew was that his son was finally back and safe in his arms. The Goron chieftain was crying with joy.  
>"Rumi! Oh, my sweet little Rumi!"<br>"Papa…?"  
>Rumi finally woke up. With blinking, tired eyes he looked at his father's face – and hugged him back, crying just as much.<br>"Papa!"  
>"Rumi!"<br>"Papa!"  
>Link and the Subrosian looked at each other. Link gave him a smile.<br>"Chief, these are the ones who brought him back", the Goron guards said. For just a few seconds, Dargono allowed himself to look up.  
>"Thank you", he said with a teary voice. "Thank you so much. Without you, I couldn't have… oh… Rumi…"<br>"Papa!"  
>"Rumi!"<br>"Umm, if I may interrupt…" said Violet, "there is something we need."  
>"Yes? What is it?"<br>"The scroll piece your tribe was given after the sealing of the wizard."  
>Dargono's eyes looked stern for a while, like he was about to be angry again. Violet told him the whole story, and also that the strangers that kidnapped Rumi were the same persons that were out to destroy Hyrule.<br>"I see", the chieftain said. "Well, if that's the case, then of course I'm going to give it to you. Follow me."  
>Link, Violet and the Subrosian trailed Dargono into his room. The chieftain was still carrying his son as he opened a box and took out the scroll piece.<br>"Here", he said. "Treat it with care. Save Hyrule. Be the hero you were today", he said and then turned to the Subrosian:  
>"And what can I do for you, my friend, the one that protected my son?"<br>"I'd… like to live in the volcano", it said shyly. "If you don't mind. It's awfully cold out here, and I thrived inside, before the dragon came…"  
>"You've been living inside the volcano this whole time!?"<br>"Not really", the Subrosian shook his head. "I just ended up there a few months ago when I was excavating new roads to new places… however, that's a long story. I'd like to rest a little before returning to my own people."  
>Dargono smiled.<br>"You're welcome to stay as long as you want", he said happily. "And feel free to visit again as soon as you feel like it!"  
>The Subrosian thanked him for the offer. Link and Violet thanked him for the scroll piece and then returned to Kakariko to meet up with Impa and Sheik.<br>There, more bad news awaited them.


	14. Chapter 14: Violet's memories

**Chapter fourteen**

Impa and Sheik were waiting by a statue in the middle of the village. It showed the three heroes; two of them clearly women of the Sheikah. Upon Link and Violet arriving, they took their eyes off the statue. Impa said:  
>"Great to see you, Link. How did it go?"<br>She looked expectant, and to her delight things had gone better as she had planned.  
>"Well done", she complimented, "you've certainly surprised us all with your bravery. I'm sure that the princess appreciates your efforts."<br>"She better", Sheik grinned. "Half of the scroll pieces already collected!"  
>"But the third and fourth are going to be a problem", Impa sighed and shook her head.<br>"Excuse me for asking this, but what do you mean with both third _and _fourth? I thought that we knew that one of the scroll pieces was among the race of the aquatic Pazoras?" Violet asked.  
>"It is", Impa confirmed, "but they've disappeared."<br>Link and Violet dropped their jaws.  
>"What do you mean with 'disappeared'?" Violet asked with a trembling voice. "How can an entire race just disappear? Especially as Hyrule has not got much water in its land, mostly just the rivers and the lake… They do reside in the lake of Hylia, do they not?"<br>"They did", Impa said. "Their village is emptied."  
>"But why?"<br>Impa sighed and looked up at the sky.  
>"Pirates", she said. "There's always been pirates. But now, they're suddenly… so many more. Three ships sailing around the great lake, and a village full of them at the bay close to the desert. They magically appeared out of nowhere, driving the peaceful Pazoras away."<br>"Such a horrible thing!" Violet gasped. "We must stop them and find the Pazoras at once!"  
>"It's not going to be easy. I've talked with the pirates, and none of them know where they went. The Pazoras' disappearance remains a mystery."<br>Link bit his lower lip.  
>"We still need to go there and investigate."<p>

After talking a little bit more with Impa and Sheik (the latter told an interesting tale about how both their names derived from the two female fighters in the Great Battle of Kakariko), Link and Violet set off down southwest, to the province of Lanayru, where Lake Hylia and the Crenado Desert situated.  
>But before reaching their destination, Link felt like it was finally time to visit his beloved home. The village of Naavis.<br>When he arrived, the villagers couldn't believe their eyes. Trinnean dropped the shovel he was holding. It hit the ground with a clonking sound.  
>"Link! Is that… you!?" he said breathlessly. Link smiled and waved back at his friend.<br>And, without any further warning, Trinnean ran up to his friend, lifted him into the air and shouted:  
>"We all thought you were dead! Oh man, am I happy to see you!"<br>Then he backed off, suddenly aware of what he had done.  
>"Uh… don't tell anyone I did that, okay? I just… uh…"<br>"Don't worry, big brother, nobody saw you", a merry Livia said. She had turned up right behind Trinnean, her smile stretching ear to ear. "Nobody but the entire village saw you."  
>"We so did! What kind of weakling are you!?" Kale shouted laughingly. "Sooo, the almighty, big, strong and perfect hero is back. How nice for us to be honoured by your presence. And have you managed to get master Gabriel back yet? No? That's what I thought! It's a hopeless case! The old man is already dead!"<br>"Kale!" Lorna shouted. "Honestly!"  
>Everyone smiled. Nobody felt like being agitated or bitter today. Link was home. Although what Kale had pointed out was true – master Gabriel was not in his company.<br>"But you've fixed up that Hero's garb, I see", Livia smiled. "And found yourself a new friend."  
>"A new friend? Who?" Trinnean asked. His sister blinked.<br>"You can't see her? The…"  
>Violet waved her hands in panic, and then disappeared.<br>"What… now she's gone… I…"  
>"It must be the shock from seeing me alive", Link lied. "And the sunlight. It's really hot out today, you know." Before Livia could ask anything more, he said:<br>"Hey, listen, Trinnean… or Livia… whoever of you can answer… um… I know this sounds like a weird question, but… how would you confront pirates?"  
>"Pirates!?"<br>The siblings stared confusedly at Link, who began explaining his entire mission for his friends.  
>"Well", Trinnean said when he was done. "There are few people in this town who know what to do about pirates. At least what I know. Ain't that right?"<br>He looked around, facing everyone in the crowd behind him. While Link told his story, the entire village had gathered to listen – even Kale and his friends. However, Trinnean was right about what he had said. Nobody knew. Not even Bram or Bo, who together knew practically everything. That's why everyone was shocked when Serena stood up and faced Link.  
>"Don't go close to them", she said with a warning voice. "They'll instantly jail you, or even worse, imprison you. Yes, I know you've been through a lot recently. Well done. But that won't help you, especially if there are, like you say, even more pirates than before."<br>"I have to try", Link said. "The fate of Hyrule depends on it!"  
>Everything got silent. Serena and Link stared at each other. Her amber eyes glowed like small suns, small serious suns, in the daylight.<br>After a while, she sighed.  
>"Try negotiating with them", she suggested finally. "It's the best way to get them to listen."<br>"Thank you", Link said, and the villagers slowly rose up, one by one.

Everyone wanted to greet Link and cheer him on to complete his mission. Even Henny and old lady Margaret.  
>"Well", she said, "finally we have a useful soul in this godforsaken little village. Make me proud!"<br>"I… will", Link said awkwardly.  
>Parth asked if Link had spotted Epona lately. Tooh had returned, but for some reason, Epona hadn't. With a heavy heart, Link had to tell Parth that no, he hasn't seen Epona. Such a shame. She was a great horse. But when he got the time, he would immediately start looking for her.<br>"Oh, by the by", Parth said, "your old donkey got sick. But don't worry. Nana's in my stables. If you want to come say hi, you're most welcome. She'd like it, I'm sure."  
>Link immediately swung by – just for a few minutes – to check up on her. Nana was old and sleepy, and somewhat cranky, but she actually seemed to enjoy Link's quick visit. She felt especially happy when he scratched her neck and whispered that he was proud of her for lasting so long and that he hoped for her to get better soon.<br>After that, Link was invited to join Bo in his and Bram's house for a little swords art training. Bo complimented the fine sword he had received from Impa, but told that a fine weapon alone didn't make a warrior.  
>"Ye can't go out in the world not knowing how to fight!" he said. "Now, gimme yer best!"<br>Link had so much fun while fighting against Bo. Sure, he was not as experienced as the old swordsman, but Bo was patient and nice enough to tell him what he did wrong and even taught Link a few new moves. Link mastered them quickly and beat Bo in the very last fight they had that day.  
>"Ha-HA!" Bo laughed with pride. "Thass'e spirit! Ye'w grown in spirit, lad!"<br>And after grabbing his fist and hugging Link, Bo invited him to come back any time to learn more.

Bram tried to get a hold of Link, but he just wanted to speak about the fate of poor master Gabriel, politics, the Royal Family and all the bad news he had heard. Link told him not to worry.  
>"Everything's gonna be alright. I promise to bring back master Gabriel soon."<br>"Promise?" asked little Suzette with a squeaky voice.  
>"Promise", Link smiled and patted her head.<br>Since it had been such a long time since Link had slept properly, he went to his own house for a nice little nap.  
>"Violet, if you can hear me, I'm just going to sleep for a little while."<br>Violet didn't reply.  
>Link lied down and fell asleep immediately. He woke up a little before noon next day and got ready to leave again. Still no sight of Violet, but someone else showed up, alright.<br>Just outside his front door waited, much to his surprise, Lorna and Kale. Upon seeing Link, Lorna pushed Kale and said:  
>"Go on."<br>Kale mumbled sourly.  
>"No. I think you should say it."<br>"Okay…"  
>Kale stuttered a lot, but he kind of got his message through. It was funny. He sort of apologized under Lorna's command, and when his girlfriend had pointed out that "see? It wasn't so hard", he had grumpily disappeared to go dig more ditches.<br>"This is just between you and me", Lorna leaned in and whispered to Link, "but at night, in his sleep, he cries, and hopes that you are fine. Sometimes, he begs the goddesses to replace you, or avenge you, if you're already dead. But you aren't!" she giggled and straightened her back. "And that's great, isn't it, Livia?"  
>"Indeed", replied Livia. She blinked a few times. "Hey, Link... please, just let me know… are you still wearing your bunny pendant?"<br>Link jolted. The pendant. During all this stress with saving Hyrule he had completely forgotten about it.

Digging in his tunic, he indeed found the bunny pendant hanging safe under the fabric of his shirt. It looked as brave as ever in the sunlight. Link imagined the smiling face of uncle Archie and shed a tear. He would've been proud of Link doing this.  
>"It's just as lovely as ever", Livia whispered quietly.<br>"Nah, it's not lovely. It's a sign of his bravery", Trinnean replied. "According to Archie, at least. And it's kind of true."  
>"Heh… I know about that actually… you spoke of it when Link was new in the village and you, Trinnean, was his only friend back then... hehe…"<br>"But—what? Wait, what? How?" Her big brother was astonished and shocked, as Livia grinned widely and said:  
>"Sorry. I eavesdropped."<br>Trinnean argued on his sister a little, but Link managed to make peace between the siblings and then asked Livia if she wanted to guard it for him while he was gone. But she refused. So did Trinnean.  
>"Take it with you", he said. "It's kept you safe n your mission so far. And probably will keep on doing that."<br>"I hope so."  
>"Well, you might hope. But I know so!"<br>Trinnean patted his friend's back. Livia gave Link a big, warm hug, which clearly was something that Trinnean not being very fond of. He cleared his throat and stated:  
>"Well, we all have work to get back to, don't we?"<br>"Yeah, I'm coming. Link, good luck with everything."  
>"Whack those pirates good and save Hyrule, will you?" Trinnean waved as Link left the village again. Now, he felt braver than ever and could face any danger in the world.<p>

As soon as he had exited, Link felt a presence close to him. He smiled.  
>"You didn't say much during our visit", Link said to Violet.<br>She appeared blushing and somewhat giggling.  
>"I apologize. I got slightly jealous, and… I felt like… you needed your time alone with them. They're your kin. Your friends. Your family, in a manner of speaking."<br>"Yeah. But why would you be jealous?"  
>"Well… you see, even if I was invisible, I still was there. I watched you a lot. I like your house, I would like to mention, but I like your fellow villagers even more. And the way you interacted with them! Oh… You were all so beautiful… all the emotions, bubbling up to the surface… meaning of life, thy name is love… Oh, 'tis such a shame that I cannot see own my family... I miss them so bad…"<br>"Wait. Wasn't it your mother who had been brainwashed by the wizard?" Link asked. "What's to miss about her?"  
>"She was the loveliest person ever to live before she was transfigured!" Violet protested violently. Her ghost cheeks were blushing with anger, but then she realized what she was doing and apologized for her uncivilized manner.<br>"I'm sorry as well", Link said. "Tell me about your mother. Before she… went bad."  
>That, Violet did with pride.<br>"She was the meaning of my life, the joy of me and my father, the most wondrous creature to walk the earth. Always calm and collected, a Sheikah knight who could handle the dark magic well, better than any of her kind, and a brilliant warrioress with skills of needle throwing. At home, she made the most wonderful foods of all in the village. Soups and breads and delicious pies… I remember, she made plum pie the day that the wizard came… she went to the meeting he held in the village… and then… she… she…"  
>"Hey", he said, softly. "I'm sorry for reminding you. I didn't mean to upset you."<br>"It is not that, which I am crying for", Violet said. "I remembered suddenly. She was the one… who… who chopped… my arm off my body."  
>Link widened his eyes in surprise.<br>"What!? Sure, your mom seemed nice, but… what!? I just… I can't… what mother would do that to their child!?"  
>"One under a terrible spell of darkness", said Violet, trying to hold down her bitter sadness. "Oh yes, I really do remember now. They had performed one of their rituals out in the dungeon, and mother came home, raging and maleficent. My father said to her, that she was under the control of someone else, but she would not listen. She said she needed the blood of an innocent. And the only innocent she could think of, was me…"<br>Violet gulped.  
>"I cannot recall everything. I know that they fought. And suddenly, my mother had got what she came for. She took me away. To the altar I was dragged, and there I was chained, and one arm was cut away."<br>Violet grabbed her shoulder and fought back her tears as she continued with a shivering voice:  
>"I… I screamed. I begged, and I pleaded, and I locked eyes with my mother, who looked like she was in a completely other universe.<p>

But then, suddenly, for a second, just a second… my mother… she… came back to normal. Just for a second, yes. She stopped the ritual and told him that they could not use me any longer. That I was her child. Her beloved child. And for some reason, the wizard accepted that. And he was even generously trying to compensate my loss, he said. To make up for my lost limb, my right, strong and healthy arm, I would now have to learn magic to manage my every day life. Otherwise I could not live life normally, the wizard said. And that is when I became…"  
>For a few seconds, the air was completely still. Not a breeze was blowing, not a tree was rustling. No enemies in sight. And then, Violet said:<br>"That is when I became the evil wizard's apprentice."


	15. Chapter 15: Third level - Lake Hylia

**Chapter fifteen**

Link couldn't believe his eyes. What was it that Violet was uttering?  
>"Are you serious?" he asked whispering, somewhat in doubt.<br>"Yes."  
>Her tone was plain, off and more echoing than it usually was. And she looked scared.<br>"Why?" Link asked. "Why did you learn magic from him?"  
>"It was my only choice", she explained. "They would not let me go back to my father. Oh, my poor, poor father… by the time I had learnt enough magic spells to escape, he was already gone."<br>"Dead?"  
>"No. Gone. He had went to the Royal Family to warn them about the evil wizard, now that he knew for sure that something fishy was going on under the mysterious veil of dark, late-night rituals out in the hut in the forest…"<br>"What happened then?"  
>"I… cannot recall…" Violet said. "The battle started. I saw my father among the warriors. He saw to it that things went under control. And, well, my mind gets a little blurry here… but I believe that is the moment I died.<br>I simply cannot remember who killed me, or even why… probably it was one of the wizard's minions, because the knights of the Royal Family and the Sheikah, might I remind you, my own people, would not hurt an innocent child. Not what I know of…"  
>"Alright. Then what?"<br>"I died. What else is there to say?" Violet grumped. "Do you think I remember seeing things when I just had passed away, my body laying limp and lifeless on the ground?"  
>"No, I mean… your father is a hero. Well, sort of. If he was in the battle, he should've been named or at least… well… more credited."<br>"I have no clue about what could have happened to him", she said, somewhat calmer. "I know that he spoke of running away. Into another world, where the wizard never could get us, and my mother would never, ever return to his group. He worked on a sort of portal, but he could not get it to work… he needed the magic to get it moving, he said. He tried… but oh, I wonder… maybe he eloped. After the battle. I think that is what he would have done, rather than living as a hero but with the pain of losing his wife and daughter."  
>"So your mother…"<br>"Never came back. According to what the Prisoner knows of, none of them came back. She did not reveal all this information to me, but somehow, this tribe also eloped somewhere safe… it was meant as a prison, but lately, they have begun thriving there…"  
>Violet's face was blank, but concentrated, as if she was trying to remember something else, or dive deeper into her new-obtained knowledge from the Prisoner, but nothing came to mind. Desolately she shook her head and said:<br>"I wonder why the Prisoner knows all of this."

As they walked on, they pondered and discussed all about Violet's sudden and, rather scaring, memories and data. But none of them could come up with good theories for anything. Thus, they continued travelling under silence. Link left Violet alone to ponder and mourn over them in peace, because even if she was dead, this had affected her quite a lot, and she was shaken. Surely, it wasn't something to take lightly, Link thought. She had all the right in the world to be like that.  
>And so they carried on, until they finally reached Lake Hylia.<br>"Well, here we are", Link whispered.  
>"Indeed, here we are", confirmed Violet. "And the pirates are arguing loudly on the waters."<br>"Hey!"  
>A fisherman, sitting on a rock with fishing rod in hand, waved them to get closer to him. When reaching him, he said, suspiciously:<br>"Another stranger, eh. Lots of you have turned up since the Pazoras went away. What's yer take? You after my fish, or are ya gonna try your luck with the pirates, too?"  
>"Pirates", Link nodded.<br>"Like the soldiers from earlier, then", the fisherman grumped. "Well, go ahead. I won't stop ya. But if you're hurt, don't come crawlin' to me and complain 'bout it later!"  
>"I won't", Link said. "How do I get to the pirates?"<br>"Swim", the fisherman snorted.  
>"Swim?"<br>"That's what I said."  
>"But… the lake is huge! And they're firing cannon balls at each other constantly, so it would be sheer tomfoolery to swim in the lake now! Aren't there any pirates on land?"<br>"Well, there _is_ a village of them down southwest, but only one of them's left there. Abbie. The treasure dealer. You could talk to her, see what ya get out of it."  
>Link thanked the fisherman and left for the village. It was indeed as abandoned as the fisherman had told them. Most buildings were rough and simple, built of clay and stone, many of them somewhat eroded already. Tents and other sheets of beautiful, colourful fabrics were everywhere, making the town look livelier than it was. The beach sand stretched up to the end of the village, making the ground soft and nice to walk on.<br>"This is it", said Violet, "this is the residence of the pirates. I wonder… there never were any of those back when I was alive. The have to be a new people, that have settled here later than the others… now, they are rummaging and pillaging the lands of Hyrule…"  
>Her eyes got all gleaming, like she could imagine all the romantic and exciting adventures of said pirates, before shaking her undead head.<br>"There is a little building with a sign that states 'open'. Mayhaps that is the one that the fisherman spoke of, where this treasure dealer named Abbie can be found."  
>"Let's check", Link said, and went inside the tiny run-down stone house with red, purple and brown marquises, decorated with golden embroideries.<br>Inside, it was dark.  
>"Hello?" Link called. Nobody answered.<br>He went up to the counter and checked; nope, nobody present. The fisherman had been wrong. Sighing, Link felt his courage dropping as he went back outside to go try swim to the pirate ships instead.  
>That's when someone shouted:<br>"Hands in the air! Show me what you stole!"  
>A flickering torch was turned on by the counter. Out came a young, red-haired woman with amber eyes. For some reason, she reminded Link of Serena back home at Naavis. But this woman looked much fiercer. In her hand she held a sabre; ready to kill at will.<br>"Well!?" the woman shouted. "Come on! I haven't got all day!"  
>When Link told her that he hadn't told anything, she didn't believe him. But as she started to loot him, he flinched and drew his sword. They fought for a while, until the pirate – possibly Abbie, Link was guessing – had enough. She raised her hands and screamed:<br>"Stop! Okay, I trust you. I saw that you took nothing. I just wanted to… you know… it's standard when people enter the shop here, okay? We're mostly pirates here, after all. So… yeah. Well. What can I do for you? Why are you here?"  
>Link explained the situation.<br>"Well", said the pirate, who now most definitively was Abbie, "that sucks. Tell you what, I'm gonna help you. I have a tool that you can use to sneak aboard any ship, and it's reaaally handy otherwise, too. But it's gonna cost you."  
>She grinned as Link put all of his last hard-earned, enemy-stolen Rupees on the counter. Abbie frowned.<br>"Not gonna do", she stated. "And I bet you have no treasure, either."  
>"What do you count as treasure?" Violet asked. "Only jewellery and things that gleam of gold? Ancient relics? Statues?"<br>Abbie glanced at the ghost – apparently she was one of them who could see Violet – and replied:  
>"Well, right now, Moblin Teeth are the hoot. And… forehead jewellery from Lizalfos monsters. But those, you get in the forests and mountains. Far, far away from here. I bet you don't have either of them, they're really rare to come by around this place. And if you do, it's not easy to slay any of them."<br>"Maybe I don't, or maybe I do", Link grinned. Those spoils that the beasts had left came to use after all now, he thought as he produced treasure after treasure and put them on the pirate's sales desk.  
>Abbie stared with widened eyes. She counted them and dragged them behind the desk, counted them again and then waited.<br>"This'll do", she said. "Okay. I'll give you the hookshot."

After Abbie had explained how to use the new equipment, she also told him where the Pazoras went.  
>"You know!?" Link blurted out.<br>"Sure. They swam upward the tunnel to their domain, their secret home. They think we don't know about it, but we do. We just let them stay there, because the tunnel is pretty much underwater and it's more trouble than gain to go through it. They're on the other side of the tunnel, but they've blocked the way in."  
>"Why?"<br>"Monsters", Abbie said and locked up the final treasures in a little chest. "They appeared with the other pirate ships. I think they feel safer this way. Some monsters remained in the lake, but most of them are locked up inside the tunnel. Probably they've sealed the other side, too."  
>Link felt his heart sink. But he couldn't give up, not just yet.<br>"Thanks", he said.  
>Outside he jumped immediately in the lake. He swam out to a flat rock island and looked at the view around him. Cannonballs were flying across the air, some almost hitting him. But he had no choice. He had to wait there, until a ship came by. That was his only chance to proceed.<br>When one of the pirate ships came close enough, Link aimed the hookshot at its mast – and leaped through the air. It was an amazing feeling! Like the wind, he moved so fast. Within seconds, he landed steadily on the deck of the ship. His head was dizzy after the ride, but it had been exciting. Wow, what a ride!  
>The pirates, however, were not as excited. Just seconds ago they had been busy shouting and attacking the other two ships, but now they stopped fighting for a while to look at the intruder. They didn't seem too happy about Link's sudden arrival.<br>"Umm…" Link begun.

But it was too late. One of the pirates rose his sword and yelled:  
>"ATTACK!"<br>Everyone rushed towards Link. Armed with swords and sabres, they fenced him one by one. But Link wasn't giving up. He faced them all, and patiently fought until he had won against all of them. Then, the biggest of them, panting and tired, rose up.  
>"You're good", the pirate said. "Too good. Okay. We give. What're ye gonna do to us?"<br>"Do?" Link asked, confusedly. "I just came here to… ask for your help."  
>The pirates were silent for a minute.<br>"Quit joking and get to the point", the big one said annoyed.  
>"No… I actually need your help. Please?"<br>The big pirate stared at Link with huge eyes. And, as if they had been given a signal, all of them started laughing. Wheezing and heavy laughs they were, and tears ran from their eyes as the biggest pirate chuckled:  
>"And why would we help a little pipsqueak like you?"<br>"Umm…"  
>Link bit his lip in nervousness. Suddenly he realized that his negotiating tactics wouldn't work anymore. He had no treasure to give, nor any money, as all had already been given to Abbie. Damn! He knew he should've slain some monsters before entering the ship. Now, Link was worn out and the pirates could take him on easily. He suddenly felt so stupid and angry with himself.<br>"Alright, let's throw him overboard", one of the other pirates suggested, when the big one shook his head.  
>"No, men" he said slowly. "Actually… there is something he can do for us to gain this… 'help' he needs. Look at him. This might be what we're looking for to finally win the battle."<br>Link felt suddenly a little bit more hopeful. He had no idea what they meant, but looking at the other pirates, he understood that this was actually what he needed to do to get their help. Yes! The pirates were soon nodding and agreeing: "yes, that's what we need", and "let the lad fight!", "this battle will be ours!"  
>"Which battle are you talking of, by the way?" Link asked.<br>"The battle of who has the right to sail these waters and haul its treasures!" the big pirate replied. "It's a question of honour. We need to do something while we're stuck in this god-forsaken pond. Until we all get back to our own universe or time or whatever. Awh, man… I long for the sea. This lake smells foul compared to the salty wondrous adventures that I'm used to."  
>The pirate walked to the railing and leaned dreamingly over it, sighing deeply.<br>"I miss the captain… our real captain…"  
>Link couldn't believe his eyes. Captain? Another universe? Time?<br>"Wait… what?" he said out aloud.  
>"'Tis simple, sir Link" sighed Violet impatiently. "The wizard has summoned these pirates by magic, well, except the ones that are native here, to create chaos. These ones seem to be from another time or space or… I cannot really understand where or what, but they are not of our world. Not here, not now. That is all I can understand for now."<br>"Alright…" Link mumbled to himself.  
>"Well, we can't stay like this forever", the big pirate said. "Men, prepare!"<br>"Aye!" the pirates shouted, and then, under a lot of cheer, a shout in unison echoed across the entire lake. Every ship was prepared, and every pirate looked angry.  
>And, like on a given signal, everyone shouted:<br>"LET THE SEA BATTLE BEGIN!"

Link's crew was up for a hard fight. As soon as they started to board one ship, the other crews boarded theirs and soon everyone invaded each other.  
>It was a really bad mess. If not the other pirates clearly looked like they belonged to another crew, Link might just have well fought one of those he was hired by. Luckily, it was very easy to differ them from the others. One crew consisted of the locals, lightly tanned with red hair, sometimes with a pinkish tone, and they wore somewhat foreign clothes. The other ones, much to Link's shock, were living skeleton pirates. But well, they had to be fought, so Link fought with all his might, not thinking more about the living dead. After all, he had Violet as company, and she was probably even more dead than them.<br>The battle was harsh, but finally, after a very long while, Link's crew won the battle. When the whole thing was over, the captains of the crews met on the deck on board the winning team's ship to give away their treasure, it hurt them, but it had been won, fair and square, but then… well… they had to see. None of them would be fine of one crew having all of the treasure for time and eternity.  
>But, since everyone was tired after the great battle, they decided that they would sign a peace treaty and be calm for a little while. But only until they felt like it was time to fight for the treasure again.<br>Link congratulated the crews about the great compromise. It was good news for everyone. Upon winning, he also got a little of the booty, to his joy. And then the pirates finally listened to his request.  
>"Sure thing, kiddo", the big pirate had replied, "but we don't know where the tunnel is. It's underwater, and I bet that you can't find it either. Sorry, it's hopeless."<br>With a heavy heart, Link left the ship and went for a swim. Not the peace treaty, no treasure, could cheer him up now. All was in vain. Hyrule couldn't be saved, after all… No. He couldn't give up. Not just yet.

"I want to drown", Link complained to Violet, while restlessly splashing around in the water. He had searched for many hours for the entrance, but found nothing.  
>"I did so much, and nothing worked. I can't even find the damned blockade. It should be easy to find. All my work is just… for nothing."<br>"I disagree", Violet said, "we have made it this far already! You cannot give up just yet, sir Link! Just keep looking, I am certain we will find _something_!"  
>"Mmmh", Link mumbled and blew a few bubbles. He still wasn't comfortable with Violet titling him "sir", but it was a fruitless struggle to make her stop. After all, that was her language, from her time, and if she felt comfortable with it, then… oh, shut it, Link thought to himself.<br>He took a deep breath, ready to dive underwater and search some more, but hindered himself in the last second. That's when he saw it.  
>A cave in a mountain wall, just a few metres away. Could this be the tunnel they spoke of? Was there no blockade after all? With curiosity in heart, Link swam to check the cave. It was no tunnel. But there was something else.<br>In the cave sat what Link assumed to be a Pazora, and a human with a red fishtail. A mermaid! Link had never seen such creatures before. Ever.  
>"This is so weird", he whispered to Violet.<br>"I have to agree that this is rather strange…" she whispered back. "I have only heard of mermaids in tales, and I would never have believed that they existed for real."  
>The mermaid and the Pazora looked up. They had been holding each other, like lovers, and when they saw Link they looked horrified at him.<br>"Who are you!?" the mermaid shrieked. "Get out of here!"  
>"Sorry to interrupt", Link said, turning his head away to be polite. But he couldn't help feeling more triumphant than ever. "I just… I just need help. Please, help me!"<br>The Pazora sighed angrily.  
>"And why should we?"<br>Link and Violet told the whole story, yet again. Both were slowly getting tired of it, but it was a necessity for the mission. As Link didn't like talking that much, and both the aquatics could see Violet, he let her do the talking.  
>The Pazora nodded now and then during the talk; he seemed to know what they were talking about. The mermaid, that somehow had transferred here magically just recently, didn't have a clue on what was going on.<br>"So… in short: do you know how to get to the other Pazoras?"  
>"Yeah", the Pazora said. "They wanted me to come, but I stayed behind with my new girlfriend", said the Pazora. "But yeah, I still know where the blockade is. I'll show you."<p>

Half an hour later, the blockade was found, the pirates had blown it up. The Pazora had apologized for his rude behaviour, assured that the blockade on the other side would be opened much easier and asked Link to send his regards to the other Pazoras when he finally met them. Link agreed to do that.  
>The Pazora and pirates set off, and so, Link entered the tunnel. He had a long way ahead of him, and he had to battle through the whole, long corridor, fighting monsters, avoiding traps and endless pits, using his hookshot to advance on the long, hazardous road forward until he, finally, reached its end.<br>The Pazora's Domain was behind a closed door, but Link had just the key to open it. Good thing they had hidden away a spare one in the cave, so he could enter. Probably it was meant for the Pazora left behind, but eh. Link was happy they had left it. Made things a lot easier for him.  
>As soon as he entered the domain, Link was caught by helmed Pazora guards. But upon telling his mission, and how he got there, they released Link… somewhat, at least. They still pointed their spears to his neck as they led him to the queen. Violet tried to aid Link in explaining why he was there and why he had opened the door; but all in vain. Either they couldn't see her, or they ignored her.<br>But someone who could see her was the Pazora queen. She was an old, legless being, but Link saw that her eyes had witnessed much in her days, and that she had been a good ruler with power both in body and mind.  
>Now she was sick, lying on her death bed. Her voice was raspy, and the queen coughed dryly a bit now and then.<br>Link and Violet opened their mouths, but the queen shushed them.  
>"Ssh. I know why you have come", she said with a creaky voice. "Words travel of a hero collecting relics all over Hyrule. Chief Dargono and the Great Tree have sent me messages of your arrival. Guards, release him. This is the one whose arrival we have been waiting for."<br>The Pazora guards stepped back. However, they still threw suspicious glares at the newcomers, especially when the queen made an attempt to sit up in her bed.  
>"Thy Grace!" Violet gasped. "There is no need for you to sit up just for our humble prescense; nay, stay still, you better rest, you are ill, after all…"<br>"Nonsense", the queen huffed. "Well, I'm ill, that much is true, but it's not every day I get honoured by the visit of heroes."  
>The other Pazoras looked a little confusedly at each other. Link and Violet snickered. They were used to this, after all.<br>The queen didn't give up on sitting up. She wanted to face the ones she was talking to, she said. After five tries and a little help from her subjects, she finally made it and smiled at Link. It was a warm smile, full of love. Like a mother's.  
>"There. I got a nice view to look at your faces. Oh, how much courage you have in your heart, young one… I feel it radiating into my soul. And you…"<br>She turned her head to Violet and whispered:  
>"And you look like you're ready to sacrifice anything to save the country. Such a noble young girl. I admire your spirit, although undead."<br>Violet blushed.  
>"I will present the scroll piece to you", the queen continued, with a serious look on her face. "It's in the back room. Wait, I'll have one of the others fetch it for me… please, my dear, can you…?"<br>"Yes, madam", a guard bowed after the queen had pointed at her. She prepared to leave, but after just a few steps she just suddenly stopped. Something had caught her attention.  
>She looked at something behind Link and Violet. Now the queen saw it too. Fear was written all over her face, and Link turned around to see what t was.<br>The water raised in ètages: like a fountain or a cake it just rose into the air and splashed about a little now and then.  
>"I've found you", a voice said. "And now I'm coming to get you."<br>And as a malicious laugh echoed in the room, a ray of dark light shot the middle of the fountain. Slowly, a body took form where they ray had hit. Now details begun to unravel, and Link saw who it was. He clenched his teeth. Not again!  
>"Nice to see you, too", chuckled Vesperan. She turned up before his eyes, smiling ruthlessly.<br>"I see that my pet didn't manage to kill you. Oh well, he was useless anyways. This time… I simply have to see to it myself that you die for sure. It's what they say; if you want something done, do it yourself."  
>She laughed at her own joke. Loudly.<br>"So, are you ready to face your impending doom, pretty boy? This time, I won't let you get away."  
>But Link wasn't going to let her.<p>

"If I win, you return master Gabriel back to us", he commanded. "Is he still alive?"  
>"Maybe… you will have to fight me to find that out."<br>Link felt her evil spread across the room, like an invisible veil, covering everything and making the place feel uneasy to be in. The waters turned dark and the natural lights of the cave dimmed. Link did not like this.  
>"Come on, little one!" Vesperan called. "Attack me! I'm not going to wait all day. IF you don't go first, I certainly will!"<br>Link frowned and readied his sword.  
>"Bring it on, then."<br>Vesperan laughed again. Then, slowly, she started transforming into a giant snake-like fish being with huge, sharp teeth. Viciously attacking the remaining Pazoras, she teased them with her deadly fans, trying to bite them, stab them, or even eat them. Luckily, none of them got caught. The Pazoras fled the water and hurried to safety, taking their queen with them to the back room and shutting and locking the door behind them.  
>Link and Violet stood ready to battle. Link took a deep breath and said sternly:<br>"You're right. This time we settle it for good."  
>"Then come at me, little hero", she hissed, and her red eyes gleamed with ill will.<br>She attacked, again and again, trying to kill Link the same way as she had done with the Pazoras. Link asked Violet to do an analysis of the enemy, but unfortunately, Violet couldn't. Every time she tried, Vesperan laughed and easily blocked off Violet's magic with her own.  
>"She is too strong, this one!" Violet shouted. "If I try again, she might send me into true death, and I may never return!"<br>"Okay", Link shouted while avoiding a viciously sharp tentacle from stabbing his leg, "then I'll just have to wing it!"  
>He started improvise a fighting tactic, but nothing helped. Violet hid in a corner and, away from Vesperan's gaze, trying to collect data, but it didn't help. Although, something else came to her mind.<br>"I actually have some information of her already!" she shouted in surprise. "Try attacking her face!"  
>"Her face!?"<p>

"Yes! Now, try hitting her eyes, sir Link!" Violet suggested with a voice that was mixed of doubt and certainness, as if she didn't know what to believe.  
>"Oh, such a pest!" Vesperan said. "You'll never reach my beautiful face, or my wondrous eyes… they're too far away from you!"<br>"Let's find that out", Link teased and jumped.  
>He landed in the water, but with the help of the hookshot, he shot himself to the ceiling and landed on Vesperan's back. He rode her like a wild bull, as she wildly tried to shake him off, but Link held steady as he crawled forward, slow but determined, and stabbed her in the right eye.<br>Vesperan screamed in pain.  
>"My face! My face! My beautiful face!" she shrieked. "All in ruins!"<br>She transformed back to her old self, towering over Link, who backed in fear.  
>"You… you… fool… do you have any idea of… my poor, pretty face… I take good care of it every day… I…."<br>She was just about to hit Link fatally, when he aimed with his hookshot on a pillar behind him, flew into the air, and started a cat-and-mouse game, where Vesperan produced dark shadows of herself to attack Link while she powered up for the great finish. But with his wits, and Violet's aid with finally being to help with her magic – somehow she had found a way to reverse Vesperan's magic enough to distract her – Link could sneak up behind and hit the enemy in the back.  
>"Yow! Such a foul trick must be punished", Vesperan's voice echoed in the hall.<br>She failed to punish Link and Violet, however. They would win this time. They repeated their tactic a few times until she had enough. Vesperan was so hurt, she didn't even realize what they were doing. Not even what she was doing. Bleeding, crying and screaming, she kneeled on the floor and shrunk into a pile.  
>"No!" she screamed, pounding the floor with her fists. "NO!"<br>"We won!" Violet shouted. "Now give us back the magician you have captured!"  
>No reply. Vesperan didn't even move.<br>"Are you even listening!? And you call yourself a queen! You have not acted with grace even once! Do you hear me!? Give us back the magician!"  
>But Vesperan wasn't listening. She kept looking at the ground, muttering to herself in a tearful, choppy voice.<br>"Why is this happening to me? I had it all… and then… and then…"  
>She looked up at the sky, clenching her teeth and grunting.<br>"Everything is your fault", she whispered out, somewhat loud.  
>And without even caring about Link or Violet, she healed herself as much as she could, walked slowly away from them on the water's surface while fading away into the fog that oozed from her body, mumbling things sourly to herself. When she was the most transparent, Vesperan turned around to give Link and Violet one last angry glare, sighed, and looked at the sky again. Then, she disappeared completely.<br>"What was that about?" Link wondered.  
>"I have no idea, unfortunately", Violet said slowly. "But of this I am sure: she will not give you back your friend yet… not until she has healed completely."<br>"Then we will have to wait forever", Link sighed. "I cut her face pretty bad."  
>"No. Not her face. There is something else that is hurting her… some kind of bitterness in her heart." Violet paused for a minute before adding: "And I think I know who caused it."<br>"What? Who?"  
>"Well, the information I had of her… her face… it came from a source I thought had no data of her, you see."<br>"What do you mean?"  
>Violet looked at the sky.<br>"Somehow… Queen Vesperan and the Prisoner are linked to each other. And according to what I felt back then… a raving anger and a heart throbbing with pain and disappointed feelings… their story cannot be a good one."


	16. Chapter 16: Letters

**Chapter sixteen**

Link couldn't believe Violet's words. This was the second time she had surprised him completely.  
>"What?" he asked. "Are you sure?"<br>"Positive", Violet nodded quietly. "Absolutely positive."  
>"But… why? The Prisoner and Vesperan… they're just… so different."<br>"No. Perhaps not." Violet had something wistful in her eyes. "There is something… no… just… they are connected somehow, of that I am most certain", Violet said. "I have no idea how. But they must be. Perhaps… no… but it is possible, as they possess the same kind of magic. I think. At least they are very similar… hm…"  
>Link wanted to know more, but Violet truly had no more information or theories. Not that they had the time to ponder anymore, anyways. The very next second all of the Pazoras emerged back into the main room to thank Link and bow to him, expressing their eternal gratitude and praising his selfless deeds. And, lead by two guards, the Pazora queen came haltering up to him on a walking stick made of coral. Behind her tailed to guards. One of them had a box in hand, and Link knew at once what it contended.<br>As the queen opened the box, revealing and presented to him – indeed, his guess was right! – the scroll piece, she said:  
>"Oh, brave one… thank you. It is with honour I trust this to you."<br>"Thank you."  
>"There is nothing to thank me for. Now, hurry, back to the castle, and back to princess Zelda."<br>The queen bit her lip pensively.  
>"But before you leave… please, if I may ask of this, I have two requests."<br>"Yes?"  
>"One is to tell the princess that we are safe, and that we most likely will remain here. It is our home, as it was before the humans re-emerged Hyrule."<br>"Humans?" Link and Violet asked. The queen blinked, as if she just remembered that she had said something inappropriate. She smiled softly and shook her head as she continued:  
>"Well, never mind. The main thing is that we will not go back to Lake Hylia in quite a while, and we can be in peace in our own element here. We have no need to deal with those pesky pirates anymore. When they disappear, and I mean all of them, we might come out again. Well, more of us, at least… or… no. Never mind."<br>"Okay." Link nodded. "And the other one?"  
>"The other one…"<br>The queen doubted a little.  
>"Hm, you see… my son, the prince of my people, got lost during the evacuation. I want you to check for me that he is alright. Well, I think he stayed willingly behind… lately, he had spoken about something a girlfriend… but I don't care about that. I just want to know that he's safe."<br>"Don't worry!" laughed Link. "I met him on my way here, to your home. He's fine. Yes, I promise that he's completely fine! Thanks for reminding me, he sends his regards."  
>The queen smiled and thanked Link once again for his aid. Then it was finally time for him and Violet to return to Hyrule Castle.<p>

The queen declared that two secret gateways would be opened. The Pazoras gladly fulfilled her commission. As soon as they were open, Link got more information of them: one could only be used only to exit the domain, as the streams were flowing rapidly, and it lead back to Lake Hylia. The other one could be both entered and exited as Link pleased. It was in a meadow, but beyond one layer of trees, Link saw Hyrule Fields stretching out as the sun was setting somewhere, making the horizon rosy red. Apparently their domain was located somewhere in the edge of the Great Woods. Link added a note of it on the map.  
>He excited the domain and stepped out on Hyrule Field. The sun was rising. A new morning was beginning. Cuckoos were crowing, birds were catching worms. Some enemies woke up, others went to sleep. People would get to their chores. Eat breakfast. Mail was getting delivered.<br>Link was enjoying the peaceful idyll to the fullest, when it was roughly ended by Poppy's voice crying:  
>"Hey! Down there! Watch out!"<br>And seconds later, she crashed into Link. Again.  
>Both mumbled and groaned in pain, and Poppy desperately tried to collect her dropped mail from the dirty ground.<p>

"You should really work on your landings!" Violet berated. "It is important to be polite and dutiful, careful and treat others with respect!"  
>"I know", Poppy mumbled. "I'm just so clumsy… sorry."<br>"Forget about it, it didn't hurt that much", Link said and brushed off the dirt on his tunic. "So, I guess this means you have mail for me?"  
>"Yep!" Poppy dug in her bag for it, and gave him two envelopes. "You must be popular!" she noted. "Two at once!"<br>Link didn't comment on that and opened the first letter. It was from Parth, the stable-holder back home.

"_Hey, Link! Bet the 'save Hyrule' thing is going well for you?_

_I have great news about Epona! My daughter, Patricia, if you remember her, works on a farm down south, on the Ne'er Lone Farm – and Epona has fled there! Patty recognized my horse and sent me a letter, so Epona's kept safe at the farm for now. Could you go pick her up for me? In exchange, I'll let her stay with you so you can get faster across the Fields. I'll lend you my whistle I use to call for her. Bet it's tiring to run on your own two legs across all of Hyrule all the time?_

_By the by, drop by Naavis any time! We'd love to hear how things go for you! Take care!_

_- Parth._"

"Well, that's good news", Link said and looked at the whistle. It was small, shaped like a primavera flower and wooden. He blew it, and a pretty sound came out. A melody softly reached all over the plains.  
>That would be useful later. Link put the whistle in his pocket and went on to reading the next letter. It was from princess Zelda.<p>

"_Link_", it begun straight on.

_"I've heard about your progress and I'm very glad you're doing so well. All of Hyrule will be grateful for your selfless deeds. Thank you._  
><em>Unfortunately, I bring you bad news. We have searched the entire castle – hidden rooms and everything – but the fourth scroll piece is nowhere to be found. We will of course search again to see if we somehow have missed it, but my hopes are not getting any higher. If the scroll piece is indeed in the castle, it is beyond our reach – for now.<em>

_I believe out best way is to ask Miss Aran and her friends at the library for help. They've found something, they said, that's guaranteed to help us find the piece. But it's a highly dangerous path to trail for knowledge._  
><em>It is like this; through magical trance, one person will enter a spirit world to search for the scroll piece. Only a true hero can make it. If one dies in there, they may never return to the real world, and their spirit will be trapped in a void of darkness for eternity.<em>  
><em>I know it sounds bad, but we have no other hope. I was going to do it, as I was suitable for it… Impa volunteered as well but I refused. She is, by all means, compatible, but there's a risk she might be to rash in the other world. Then, we came up with the ultimate solution. At least, that's what we believe.<em>  
><em>Even if I insisted on being the one to enter the realm, Impa tells me it's highly dangerous, but she will not tell me why. She knows something that I don't, and I guess that I will have to accept that. However, I can stay on the outside and bring you back in case something goes wrong. Yes, this was clumsily put of me; but please, Link – help us. Impa will help me stay in control. With my powers, the Light Force, it would be helpful for both of us to control your visit in the spirit world.<em>  
><em>(And, just between the two of us, I believe it is he very Light Force that Impa is afraid might provoke the spirits if I enter. That would lead to even more chaos, and it is the reason why I ask this of you. Otherwise I would never risk your life like this.)<em>  
><em>Link… Please help us! We're counting on you. But I understand if you're not up to it, and if that is the case, I will go, no matter what Impa says.<em>  
><em>Are you willing to take this quest? Please send a prompt reply with the mailwoman.<em>

_Yours truly,_  
><em>princess Zelda of Hyrule."<em>

"Oh", Violet begun. "Oh. That sounds dangerous to the most extreme…"  
>"It does."<br>Link was silent. He pondered about it for a while, and came to the conclusion that he had no choice. If Zelda did it, something bad could happen, and if Impa did it… well she was so rough, but talented, so she could, but… if Zelda refused… well, that would be it. No more dawdling. He, Link, would enter the spirit world and save Hyrule. Master Gabriel's life depended on it. All of Hyrule depended on it.  
>To build up courage for the reply of his letter, Link grabbed the bunny pendant under his tunic and looked at it. He could hear uncle Archie's voice echo:<br>"You're such a brave boy."  
>Link's eyes became watery with tears. Soon, he could hear all his friends cheering for him: "you can do it! You can do it! You can absolutely do it!"<br>And, without thinking, Link said out aloud:  
>"Yes. Let's do it. Let's enter that spirit world."<p> 


	17. Chapter 17: Where is the last piece?

**Chapter seventeen**

"You cannot be serious. Sir Link, pull yourself together!"  
>But Link was serious. If this magical trance thing was the only thing to do in order to save Hyrule, then heck, yes he would do it! The princess and general Impa could do what they want. If he failed, they could enter. But somehow, Link had a feeling that he would make it.<br>Although, before going back into town and perform the mysterious task, they had to reply the princess' letter and take care of some other things first. Link borrowed a pen from Poppy to answer both letters. When they were written and sent, and Poppy had taken off, Link and Violet decided that going to get Epona would be the wisest thing to do before anything else.  
>"And then I could, mayhaps, make you change your mind", Violet added in a motherly tone.<br>"I don't think you will", Link replied friendlily.  
>But Violet just snickered and said that she'll accept that challenge. She had started to like and respect Link so much that she wouldn't like him to get hurt or worse – die – under her watch. Link didn't comment on that, but on the inside, he felt touched over the fact that Violet cared so much. She was a good and loyal friend.<br>"Let's… go get Epona", he said with a faltering voice.  
>Even though she didn't act like it, Link saw that Violet knew that he cared about her, too. With Link being a man of few words, this wouldn't get better than this, so she left it at that. Violet shook her head and tittered slowly.<br>"Alright. Let us leave for the farm to retrieve that horse of yours."  
>"Yes."<br>Link cleared his throat and took out the map. The fastest way to the Ne'er Lone Farm was actually to go back through the Pazora's Domain and swim in the fast, now opened stream that flowed back to the lake.  
>When he re-entered their residence, they looked strangely at him, but as Link just said "passing through, passing through", they let him through to enter the stream. It was a cold, but refreshing ride, and in just a few minutes, Link and Violet were back at the lake.<br>"That surely went fast!" Violet said. "And now?"  
>"And now we go in that direction and visit the farm", Link replied.<br>Walking by the shore, he met the fisherman from earlier who thanked him for making peace return to the lake by inviting him to some nice and quiet fishing.

"Some other day", Link said, "I have other things to do."  
>"Turn up any time!" waved the fisherman as Link went on. "Oh… no! No! Dang them rascals, they're at it again!"<br>Indeed! The pirates where shouting and shooting their cannonballs at each other once more, arguing and shouting loudly. Link thought about entering another epic battle to settle things down (and gain a little more money), but… no. Not right now. Epona came first, and then that trans-thingee. First things first.  
>So they left for the farm, which was a bit east from the actual lake and close to the woods. It was somewhat close to the water and its area was huge, very huge. Animals roamed everywhere. Horses, cows, sheep and every kind of animal were scattered all around the place, making it look like a sophisticated sort of wilderness among the houses, barns and fences. None of the animals tried to flee. That surprised Link.<br>"Oh! A visitor! Welcome!" a hearty voice called.

It was a woman; she had long, red hair tied in a pony tail and was dressed simply, like people ought to on the countryside. She had a big smile and looked nice.  
>"So, how can I help? Looking for something to eat? Drink? Stay the night? Are you lost? Or are you maybe looking for work?"<br>"Uh… no…" Link said. He was surprised by the up-beat woman's sudden appearance and behaviour, so he couldn't find a way to speak clearly.  
>"I'm just…uh…"<br>"Link! Is that you?"  
>Link turned around. There stood Patty, Parth's daughter. She gawked at him, almost dropping her basket, full of eggs.<br>"I knew it was you!" Patty exclaimed happily and hugged her friend. "It's so nice to see you again, Link. So, you've come to pick Epona, huh?"  
>"That's right", Link nodded slowly.<br>The woman behind him started talking again. Loudly.  
>"Oh, so you're the one that Patty's daddy's been speaking of! How nice to meet you! My name's Maddy! Hey, don't you worry, the horse has been well taken care of. She's well-fed and rested and ready to get home any minute now! Oh, but before we go take her out of here, would you like some fish- and cabbage soup? I promise it's delicious!"<br>"It really is", Patty said laughingly. "Come on!"

Patty had to linger Link a little, because Maddy shocked him really bad with her strong attitude, but it actually turned out to be a nice meal. During dinnertime Link got to know Maddy better, and soon he actually started to like her. He even dared complimenting her soup, which actually was delicious, as promised. For that, Link received a big, warm hug. Perhaps it was a little too tight. Violet, who could be seen by none of the dining people, snickered teasingly at the scene.  
>Link listened to Maddy as she babbled on about life on the farm, about herself and her workers, which consisted of three more people: Ingo, a cranky old man with a huge moustache that mumbled and complained about everything. Then there was Maddy's own son, Thaddeus, a quiet young man who ate his soup neatly and calmly, but blushed every time Patty looked his way. And then, of course, Patty.<br>Maddy babbled so much that Link had a hard time keeping up with her tempo, but he also caught the drift of her being the daughter of Taddy.  
>"The bartender that owns the Lone Horse Tavern!?"<br>"Yep, that's my old daddy!" Maddy laughed proudly. Link almost choked on his bread.  
>"Old and fat and ugly, that's what he is", Ingo muttered to himself. Link gave him a weird look, but when Ingo stared back angrily, Link decided it would be wisest to ignore him and talk to Maddy instead.<br>As he told her that he was soon going back to town, Maddy asked him to take something to her father.  
>"It's just a bottle of my best milk", she said. "With herbs! Special formula, you know! I just want him to try it out."<br>"Oh, by the by, Maddy, should I go pick up more herbs from Madam Maple? ", Patty asked. "We're running dry on them."  
>"Those witches are no-good poison-making little idiots", Ingo mumbled under his breath. No one cared about what he said.<br>"You can go tomorrow", Maddy decided. "Link, have you visited the witches of the forest? They're pretty much our neighbours. Well, considering how big the farm is, and how few houses there are out here, they actually are our only neighbours." She laughed. "I think the substitute for the mailman lives there with her mentor. You should swing by. The witches always have something nice to offer, if you're nice to them!"  
>"They are really nice", Patty agreed. "I think I saw Poppy landing there too, half an hour ago or so, so she should be home, too."<br>Oh, so that is where Poppy lived! Sure, Link could swing by, that could be fun. And it could also be helpful, as perhaps the witches could help him prepare for the magical trance thing. Link's stomach was full of butterflies when he thought about that, so he tried to ignore it for now and say hello to Thaddeus. But Thaddeus just stared blankly, then blushed and hid his face under his sleeve.  
>After dinner, they went out to the pasture behind the stables. The sun was setting and the horses were running around freely. It was such a beautiful scene. There were many animals, but Link could easily pick out Epona from all of the others. She reared and neighed in the orange sun, snorting and shaking her mane wildly. Link's eyes got teary. It's been such a long while. Epona looked almost… magical.<br>Link took out the whistle he got from Parth.  
>"Oh, dad's old whistle!" Patty whispered as Link blew the little instrument. Upon recognizing its sound, Epona immediately came running. Link was overjoyed to see her, and she seemed to be happy seeing him, too. He laughed and patted her neck. Epona snorted loudly. The sound that scared Violet a little, but Link told her it was alright as he sat up on the horse and rode a few steps forward. Then he galloped around the fence and jumped all the obstacles perfectly. Riding Epona again was wonderful. Parth was right; they made a really good team.<br>"Woooah!" the crowd applauded amazed (well, everyone but Ingo).  
>When Link was done, he let Epona trot to the others.<br>"Yes, you look much more like a hero now!" Maddy exclaimed proudly.  
>"Take good care of her!" smiled Patty. "Good luck! Say hi to dad and the other horses from me, and the witches, if you want to! See you!"<br>And so, Link rode away from the farm, waving to the farmers and Violet flew freely by his side, making friends with Epona. Oh, yes. This felt good, Link thought contently to himself. Time to continue the adventure. He let Epona accelerate into a wild gallop.

"Yahoo!"  
>Link was riding into the dark woods, over fields and plains, in between trees, bushes and rocks, totally in sync with the nature around him. It was a lovely feeling. The breeze rustled in his hair and the sound of galloping hooves felt both nostalgic and awesome. The night air was so fresh, and no enemies had any chance against the two of them.<br>Epona seemed happy, too. She ran to her heart's delight. Violet was great company as she flew around, twirling and dancing in the night air. Link wished that this moment would last forever. Well, if it wasn't for Violet's constant tries to make him change his mind about the trance thing. But otherwise, this was an experience worthy called paradise-like.  
>Unfortunately, just a few minutes later, it had to end. They had reached the witches' cottage. Link sat down, somewhat disappointed, but the thought of soon returning to the horse back made him feel a little bit better.<br>Even though the darkness had arrived, the night hadn't, and both witches were still doing chores. Poppy was collecting the dried laundry in a basket. She had taken off her bunny ears and put a bow on her hat instead, which suited her much better.  
>"Hi Poppy", Link snickered. "Fancy bumping into you here!"<br>Poppy's eyes widened and dropped the basket. Upon seeing Link, she almost tripped backwards.  
>"Oh, dear! What are you doing here!?"<br>"Visiting", Link laughed. "Didn't you recommend me on coming here once?"  
>"Oh… yeah. Welcome! It's a bit late, but sure, you can stay an hour or two." Poppy showed a crooked smile. "By the way, that was a really terrible joke."<br>"Have you worked on your landings, Miss Witch?" Violet asked politely.  
>"I have, Miss Ghost, and I'm sure that they will delight you", Poppy sneered jokingly. "Nah, don't worry. I'm working hard every day not to crash land on my customers. But it's so hard juggling two jobs at once… I never feel rested enough… it must be nice to be a ghost. No energy to waste, and no need to gather energy…"<br>"'Tis a bit more complicated than that", Violet murmured. "But all in all, you are right about that. And indeed, it does feel nice…"  
>"Excuse me", Link said, "but I'd like some help in my quest. Poppy, you know a bit of what I'm doing, don't you?"<br>"Sort of", she admitted, "but Madam Maple knows more. She's brewing a potion right now and doesn't want to be disturbed. Wait outside, I'll fetch her when she's done."  
>Violet and Poppy begun discussing magic, and Link tended to Epona. He suddenly felt a little bit tired, and longed for his bed back in Naavis. Epona seemed tired too. And before Link knew it, everything turned dark…<p>

When Link woke up, he was inside an unfamiliar house. It was small, old, but in a very good condition. It smelt nice and was very warm, somehow. And he lied on such a soft rug of… wool… Link felt how he drifted back to sleep when a creaky voice said:  
>"Oh, so you're awake? Don't try to fool me. Do you feel better now?"<br>Link sat up. A few metres away, on a chair made of wooden sticks, sat an old woman. She was short and wrinkly, with warts here and there, dressed entirely in black and under her hat sprawled lots and lots of gray hair. She turned her unsymmetrical eyes to Link and creaked:  
>"Well, well! I told you that you couldn't fool me!" She laughed heartily before continuing:<br>"You were really tired, so we decided that you'd stay the night. I've put a healing mixture in the cup next to you, all nice and hot. Drink it whenever you feel like it."  
>"Thanks", Link nodded and drank. The taste was plain, but still, somehow, lovely, and he drank it all in just three gulps. He suddenly felt so full. No need for breakfast or any kind of food, for some reason.<br>"So, you're the boy that Aran has spoken of in her letters. Yes, I know. Aran is my other apprentice. She appears here from time to time to learn magic. Such a clever little girl. If only my little Poppy could be just as clever…"  
>The witch sighed. Well, there was nothing to be done about that, she said, and presented herself as Madam Maple, the owner of this shack.<br>"Don't worry about your horse", she said, "we built a nice little stable for her to sleep in. The barrier we have around this house makes it impossible for monsters to approach, so she's slept soundly, too. Ah! Well, well… hello, Violet. Was it fun to explore Hyrule?"  
>Indeed! Violet came flying through the wall and into the room. She looked happier than Link ever had seen her.<br>"Oh, yes!" she replied the witch. "I have experienced so much! Seen so many monsters, places, people, plants, oh, so many magical and natural wonders! And I found a nice place to meditate and think about things, as well."  
>The witch nodded approvingly.<br>"So your worries have eased? Have you reached a solution?"  
>"Oh, yes", Violet said. "I absolutely have. Oh, good morning, sir Link. I hope you slept well."<br>"Morning", Link greeted.  
>Violet hummed happily as Poppy came downstairs. She was dressed in pajamas and whined about morning coming too quickly.<br>"This again!" the older witch sighed. "Wait here. I'll go out and fetch the morning porridge."  
>While doing so, Poppy walked up to Link to ask if he was okay. After assuring that he was, Poppy nodded absently. The old witch's rather strange curse words had caught her attention. Link asked how such a nice old lady could have a foul mouth like that.<br>"Madam Maple's a bit weird", Poppy explained, "but she's nice. She's got a good heart, and that's what counts. If you compliment the smell, she might give you a free sample of her healing potion to take with you. Oh… I see you've had some of it already. Nice. But you should take some with you. Considering what you do for a living right now, you might need it."  
>Link thanked for the tip. The smell was actually really nice inside, so there was no need to pretend. As soon as the old witch – Madam Maple, apparently – came in with a whole pot of porridge, he praised her potion skills. That made her go soft.<br>"Well, aren't you a nice young man! Here, have a bottle of my best potion." She gave him a sparkling glass bottle filled to the brim. "Don't you worry. It's on the house. Oh, actually, I have something else for you… Poppy!"  
>Poppy looked up.<br>"Yes, madam?"  
>"The magical powder you should've delivered to Aran and her surrogate fathers", Madam Maple creaked, "where did you put it?"<br>"Oh… no…" Poppy's face turned pale as she whined. "I forgot it. Again.  
>"Where is it?"<br>"Umm… in the cupboard. I think."  
>"Which one?"<br>"Where we keep Moblin teeth and Octorock eyes."  
>"Oh… yes… I see it. Well, Poppy, you've been really careless, yet again! Lucky for this gentleman that he swung by", the old lady creaked and put a bag containing something soft in Link's hands. "He can take it to town."<br>"Yes I can", Link said politely, "but how did you know that I'm on my way there?"  
>Madam Maple gave him a serious look, that could've penetrated his whole soul, if she so wanted to.<br>"I just know, boy", she said quietly. "I just know."

After a hearty breakfast and stocking up on things that they might need (such as potions, for example, which was the only thing the witches sold right now) Link and Violet left. They discussed the contents of the bag that Madam Maple had given them. She had said it was magical powder for Aran… but how and why would it be used?  
>"Probably for the trance", Link said. Violet nodded, but staid silent, much to Link's confusion. She didn't even made a fuss about the trance anymore.<br>Well rested, Epona was brought out, and all three went to Hyrule Castle Town. It was already mid-day when the reached town, but they didn't head straight to the library. No, they didn't go to the castle to meet princess Zelda, either. Link had a much better idea.  
>As he was already running across all of Hyrule, he thought he finally had earned a break. It was time to explore the town a little more. He had the time. Well, not really, but Link could squeeze it in. It would probably just take a few minutes anyway and no one would have to know. There was so much to see and experience! And maybe he could finally pay back Beedle for that night he slept on his hay. That would be great, Link reasoned to himself.<br>Violet didn't stop him. Actually, she too was curious to see what the Castle Town looked like, and they had so much fun going from one place to the other. As they walked through the gates he looked how the people lived their lives in there. It was so great to see. Uplifting, somehow. They talked to each other, about daily matters, about the strange things that had happened lately all around Hyrule and that they hoped it wouldn't affect them (apparently they knew nothing about the war). Everything was so peaceful. Folks gathered here, there and everywhere, running and walking around, and slowly, everything hustled and bustled. The entire place had such a nice atmosphere.  
>Link made sure to explore all of town. There were bakeries, fruit vendors, flower vendors, musicians and so many shops; equipment shops, weapon shops, potion shops (the owners of that last one looked pale and a little scary), homes, other houses, back alleys, stray cats, stray dogs, gaming houses and playgrounds for both children and adults. Oh, and people collecting money for various purposes, and a fortune teller, and the bar, and…<br>… so many other things. Link swung by the post office, where a stressed man was exercising his one leg. He was being friendly to the customers, but he muttered every ten seconds in a sad voice how he wished being out on the fields running again. Poppy turned up to gather the letters for delivery and took off again on her broom; something the townsfolk liked watching apparently, as witches were rare in the lands of Hyrule.  
>Epona didn't enjoy the town as much as her companions, so Link paid for a place in the stables. Violet flied around, telling about the marvellous view from above town and wished that Link could see it too.<br>"I can see all the way to the edge of the wall!" she shouted. "And further away, by the foot of Eldin Mountain, I can see the village of Kakariko! My, how grand this is!"  
>Link snickered at her joy. Well, they couldn't enjoy themselves all day long, so they decided to leave for the library. On the way they passed the castle gate, where Link greeted the guards (it was the same, sour ones that Link had encountered before; and they were quite bitter about his status among the current heroes of Hyrule), and then went to the marketplace to pay Beedle back by buying some of his wares; another empty bottle and a heart stone, that would be used to increase his health.<br>Beedle was overjoyed of the deal, and said that now he could finally open a mobile shop he had been working on. He would close his store a little while to work on the details. He promised he would give Link a discount when it was ready.  
>"I appreciate that very much", Link said.<br>Finally, he and Violet made it to the library.  
>It was huge. At least the outside. The inside could've been, but the mess made it look much smaller than it was. Everywhere on the floor, books and documents were scattered, and in the middle of the whole thing was a group of people: Aran, Sheik, and two strange men, one of them in a wheelchair. They were leaning over a desk. None of them noticed Link when he first entered, as they were studying something, speaking softly to each other, but as Link spoke "Uh, hello?" they jolted and turned around.<br>"Oh… Link!" Aran exclaimed. "Hehe! Yay! It's great to see you again!"  
>"Same here", Link said and showed the letter. "I got the letter from the princess. You had a magical trance you wanted to perform on me?"<br>"That was bluntly put", Violet murmured.  
>The two strange men agreed; this was a serious matter. But, Link was right; that is what they was going to perform, and for that, they needed the magical powder. Aran and the man in the wheelchair received it from Link and started preparing the ritual.<br>"How long will it take?"  
>"Do you want to get this on already?"<br>"Yeah. I want to get this over with."  
>Aran put a hand on Link's shoulder and smiled softly.<br>"You're scared", she whispered. "But you're gonna do it anyways, aren't you?"  
>"Of course. It's a matter of saving Hyrule, of honour and avenge." Then he laughed. "Plus, it actually sounds exciting to enter another world. I can't wait to see what it looks like!"<p>

While Aran was preparing the ritual together with a man in a wheelchair, Link talked with the rest. Violet had given up on Link changing his mind, so they concentrated on speaking to Sheik, who had – much to Link's surprise –had cut his golden hair. The entire pony tail was gone, and the whole thing was now just as short as Aran's.  
>"Inspired by her eternal good spirit", he smiled. "She's taught me a lot about stuff. For being so much younger than me, she's really smart."<br>"I bet", Link nodded, "she surprised me too at first."  
>"We've taught her all we know", the strange man said. "But that wasn't enough."<br>He was tall, silver-haired with brown eyes, and he introduced himself as Pollux, the twin brother of Castor. That was the brown-haired man in the wheelchair with glasses.  
>"We would've travelled too", Pollux explained, "if it wasn't for Castor's legs. Of course, we rumbled around Hyrule and other places a lot in our youths, but that is a long time ago. Aran is young, and has so much energy, thus, we wanted her to experience the whole thing too, by herself." He smiled approvingly. "It was the right choice. I and Castor stayed behind as Aran travelled the world, and oh, what a joy it was when she came back, telling about all her experiences! But one day, we will travel together, and that will be the best thing in our lives. I hope we can finish our vehicle soon."<br>"I understand your scheme is quite grand, yes. I admire your never-ending spirit", a soft voice spoke from the entrance. I was princess Zelda.  
>She and Impa entered the library, and everybody bowed to show their respect. The princess walked up to Link and bowed to him.<br>"Thank you for returning to do this, Link. I'm very impressed by your successes this far", she said, "and yours too, miss Violet. This, however, will be the worst hindrance you've ever met. We have worked on a way to secure you while in the spirit world, but it can still be quite dangerous. Nobody knows what awaits on the other side."  
>"I'll do it anyways", Link said. "I need to bring back master Gabriel."<br>"Hrm-hrm."  
>It was Violet who had cleared her throat. Everybody silenced and looked at her.<br>"I have taken a decision, thy Grace", she said solemnly. "I will do my duty and follow Link to the very end of the world, or, as in this case, another world. I have given it a lot of thought. The pirates of Lake Hylia has travelled from another world, or time, or whatever it may be, and they have made it unharmed. Mayhaps Link will do the same. We will never know. But, if possible, I would like to join him in the other world to aid him in his quest. And I will do it with honour", she added with pride.  
>Link stood completely amazed. Violet… would come with him? She, who was against this whole thing? Just for his sake?<br>Suddenly he felt so warm at heart. When he first had gotten to know her, she had believed that Hyrule was doomed nonetheless, she had been old-fashioned and quite a depressive character. But now… she glowed with pride. She could help people. She had a purpose in life. Or, well, death, strictly speaking. The point is that she was happier, and Link felt amazed how he hadn't noticed her page-turning evolution until now.  
>Yes. Violet wanted indeed to enter the spirit world with Link, and she said that "she would not do anything else in the world right now than accompany the one that were to save them all." If she could help, she would – no matter what!<br>"How noble of you", princess Zelda complimented. "I do hope that can be arranged. I've come to understand that you are indeed a brilliant companion for our hero."  
>Her smiled disappeared.<br>"However… there is something you should know before you go."  
>The princess looked at Impa, who nodded, and then looked back at Link.<br>"Impa has finally agreed to tell me that there is another force… a great one… the Fairy Queen, the Prisoner, and both future tellers in Hyrule have spoken of this… it is connected to Hyrule, that much we have gathered. But we don't know what it is. It might dwell in this realm, if we are really unlucky. We have no idea what it could be, or what to do about it."  
>"I'll handle it!" Link said. "I will do anything in my power to do this!"<br>Zelda smiled.  
>"You're brave", she complimented with pride. "Take care."<br>"All set!" Aran shouted. "Link, come lie down at this bed!"  
>Link obeyed. He greeted Castor, who was the one who had dug up the spell from the library archive.<br>"It's an ancient kind of magic that hasn't been used since before the Great Battle", he said, "and now we're going to perform it for the first time in forever! I'm so excited!"  
>Link closed his eyes. He didn't want to hear anything about performing magic, not until master Gabriel had disappeared. Back home, he always was the one to perform magic tricks and make their work and day brighter with a joyful, nice spell.<br>No, don't think about the past, Link berated himself. This is no time for that. Aran and Castor let Violet sink into Link's chest, close to his heart, so she could be sure to join the ride.  
>"Okay, all secured? Ready to leave? Good. Close your eyes. Here we go…"<br>As Castor started mumbling softly in words of ancient Hylian, a language that Link surely could not understand, he felt how his body drifted away somehow, and became lighter… and lighter… and lighter… and everything just flashed white. All sights, all sounds, everything just disappeared.  
>And suddenly, he could hear again.<br>"Link!" Violet shouted. "Link! Wake up! You have to see this, this is so grand!"  
>Groaning, Link sat up. He was tired, and couldn't first recognize Violet's voice. Then he realized that she actually had left out "sir" this time, much to his joy.<br>Link looked around. They were on a patch of green, soft grass on a tiny island. Violet was soaring close to the edge of it, looking down. Around them where many other islands, some with houses and roads, others exclusively with only natural features, such as trees and rocks and one even had a little pond on it. And around the islands was an eternal blue. It stretched from around them to somewhere far, far below them.  
>No. Not the sea. They were in the sky. <p>


	18. Chapter 18: The sky

**Chapter eighteen**

"…What… is this?"  
>Violet and Link looked around. How did they end up here again? What were they doing here? And why… why the heck were they in the sky!?<br>"How did we even… I just… what!?"  
>Link babbled confusedly to himself. This made no sense. And it made even less sense when a green-haired little girl showed up and walked up to them with a big smile on her face.<br>"Oh, a visitor!" she exclaimed happily. "We rarely get visitors up here. Are you lost?"  
>"Uh…" Link stuttered, but before he could say anything, the girl continued:<br>"I'm lost. We rarely use this place, and every time I wonder off by myself, I find my way to an extra deserted island and have no idea how to get back. My sisters must be mad at me. Do you want to help me go look for them?"  
>"Your sisters?" Link asked.<br>"Yeah. Din and Nayru. They're really great."  
>"Strange names…"<br>"Well, what's your name, then?"  
>"Link… and this is Violet…"<br>The girl scoffed.  
>"Now those are weird names. Oh… forgive me. I completely forgot about being polite. I didn't tell you my name… it's Farore. Uh, Mr. Link, would you please keep me company until we find my sisters? I feel so lonely. Well, wandering alone is nice, but not when you've gotten lost somewhere unfamiliar."<br>"Uh… sure." Link stood up and rubbed his head. It throbbed in dizziness and light pain.  
>"So… where did you say your sisters were again?"<br>Farore gave him a very impatient look.  
>"Right… you've lost them."<br>"I can see people, not too far away", Violet stated. "They have gathered on a bigger island, and they are… about… let me count… five…"  
>"Oh, that's right! Hodru and Brynna are here, too! I'm gonna meet them! Yay! I've missed them so bad."<br>"Holo-what now and… no. Never mind."  
>Link and Violet looked at each other. Both shrugged, but they agreed to follow Farore around. Link's head cleared up remarkably walking in the cold fresh air as followed Farore. She was so happy looking around at all the odd birds all around her, and she kept on babbling and babbling unendingly. Link didn't even have the time to ask her about the scroll piece.<br>Farore was very merry for being a lost child. She gladly told them about how pretty her sisters were, and that they were strong and smart and everything and that they were the best people in the world.

"But I'm good at things, too!" Farore exclaimed. "I'm never afraid of anything! Not even the dark!"  
>"That's good." Link stretched and put his hands behind his head. "Um, Farore? Can I ask you a question?"<br>"Sure! What is it?"  
>"Why are we in the sky?"<br>She looked at him as if he was crazy. It lasted for a few seconds, but then she laughed.  
>"Oh, you're funny!" she said. "That was a really good one."<br>"But it wasn't…"  
>"Farore! There you are!"<br>Two women, one tan, muscular and red-headed, the other blue-haired, lady-like and mild, approached Farore with impatient looks. Link thought that the blue-haired one looked somewhat familiar, somehow.  
>"We've been looking all over for you!" the red-head said. "Where have you been!?"<br>"I've been exploring the islands", Farore said simply. "I mean, we don't come here that often. I want to play! Besides, I wasn't alone this time. Link and Violet were with me."  
>"Link? Violet!?"<br>The red-head raised an eyebrow looking at the new arrivals.  
>"A… Hylian? No, wait… two of you? What… How did you get here?"<br>"I wonder that, too", Link said. "But I have another question, if you don't mind."  
>"And that is?"<br>"We're looking for something. A piece of a scroll. Do you know of it?"  
>"A piece of a scroll…? No…"<br>The red-head stared at him and Violet for a while, not knowing what to say. Then, the blue-haired one put her hand on the red-head's shoulder and said with a sweet, melodic voice:  
>"There must be a meaning to it. If they got here looking like this, someone must've sent them here. There must be a reason."<br>Even her voice sounded familiar. Link frowned. Something was really off with her. He knew he'd seen her before. But where?

The red-head was silent for a minute. Then she sighed.  
>"You're right. But it still annoys me. This isn't supposed to happen."<br>"Well, why don't we ask Levias about this?"  
>"Hmm…"<br>Violet and Link sent each other confused glances. So many strange things! This spirit world sure was weird. If it actually was a spirit world, that is. It actually looked pretty normal, well, except for that they were in the sky, and these people, and… it was just so strange.  
>"Can this Levias mayhaps tell us more about the lost scroll piece?" Violet asked.<br>The red-head shrugged.  
>"Beats me. Aways worth a try, though."<br>"Oh!" Farore jumped up and down in excitement. "Can I take them to Levias?"  
>"I don't think that is a good idea, dear", the blue-haired one said with a sweet smile. "Let's go together, all of us."<br>She turned her smiling face to Link.  
>"Oh, I've forgotten to introduce us. Excuse me for this. My name is Nayru, and I'm Farore's elder sister. This here is the eldest sister… named Din."<br>"Nice to meet you, little one!" Din grinned. "Well, you're right, Ru, let's go to Levias. Lead the way, Farore!"  
>Farore couldn't lead the way. Her sisters corrected her constantly and told her the correct path, but Farore didn't mind. She was just happy to do something, and merrily walked in front of them, singing and humming, sometimes jumping out of joy.<br>Link and Violet were mesmerized by the strange views. The islands had clearly been inhabited by humans once. Once, this perhaps had been a glorious and lively town, full of people and animals. Now it was empty, mossy and old. Houses, fences, walls, huge buildings, piers that led out into the void of nothingness, temples and statues of a winged woman, that appeared here and there… all in ruins. Link wondered so much. Who had lived here? How, and why? He was just about to ask when Violet forestalled him.  
>"Pray tell, what is this wondrous place?" she mused the sisters curiously.<br>"This?" Din laughed. "Oh, just an abandoned town…"  
>"Up in the sky!? You must be joking, fair lady! There must be something else to it. I beg of you; please, tell me!"<br>Din and Nayru chuckled.  
>"Well, it actually really is that simple", the next-to-eldest sister explained. "There is a background story, but… we can't tell you that much more than that it belonged to an ancient civilization… no, wait… two of them… but now it's abandoned and hasn't been inhabited for centuries. It's a shame to let its beauty and great location to go to waste, and so, because of that, we thought we'd make use of it. We gather here on important meetings and such. It's very handy."<br>"I see… but where are the other ones?" Violet persisted. "It cannot be just the three of you, especially if this is your meeting point, as you speak of. Besides, Farore mentioned far more people than just her fair sisters to be present."  
>"Oh, they haven't arrived yet", Din smiled. "They will in time."<br>"Alright. But what about…?"  
>"I'm afraid we cannot answer any more questions." Nayru gave violet a bright smile that shone like the sun. "I'm really sorry, I really am. But it's better that you don't know. Trust me. I don't do this to be cruel."<br>"What!"  
>"No, we really can't tell you anymore", Din seconded. "Sorry."<br>Violet staid silent, but Link saw that she wasn't satisfied with that. She frowned as she scanned them thoroughly, as if she was looking for hidden clues or something, any reason why they wouldn't tell or should tell them. Suddenly, Violet gasped in surprise. She flew up to Link's ear and whispered to him:  
>"Link! Sir Link! Look at Nayru's face. They are so alike!"<br>"What do you mean?"  
>"Are you daft!? Nayru looks so much like her!"<br>"Who!?"  
>"That girl from your village!"<br>"What…?"  
>And that's when Link noticed it. Now he knew where he had seen Nayru before. No, not Nayru. But Livia.<p>

They looked very much like each other; some things distinguished them from each other, sure, but in total… they could be siblings. Well, not really, as Trinnean and Nayru had much fewer traits that resembled each other, but still… now when it had hit Link, this was almost scary.  
>Suddenly, Nayru turned her head. She had noticed Link staring at her, and she smiled at him, an ever so warm smile, just like Livia's. Link looked away, not knowing what to say or even think.<br>Finally they arrived at a strange temple. It was huge. From inside came heavy, breathing noises. It sounded like it was the building itself that was breathing.  
>"Well", Nayru said, "here we are."<br>Link gazed upon the temple. It was decayed, and many of the stone bricks it was built of had eroded heavily. It looked so unstable.  
>"You want me… to go in… there?" he asked.<br>"Yeah", Din said. "Go on."  
>Violet turned her face to Din's. She looked raging mad.<br>"Are you joking, honoured miss!? This building here, 'tis falling apart! And strange noises are coming out of it! Are you going to risk his life by letting him into some kind of ruins that…"  
>"Shh", Din shushed. "It's completely safe. Look. Farore's in there already."<br>Indeed! Farore had run into the temple to greet the one they called Levias. Then it couldn't be too harmful, if Din and Nayru let their younger sister go in there just like that. Violet argued that it for a minute, but gave up when Link said that she was going in no matter if she tagged along or not. Grumbling and mumbling, Violet soared after Link into the temple.  
>And there they were met by a wondrous sight.<br>Levias was not a human being. Not even a mammal. He was a giant fish; much like a while, blue like the night sky is right after twilight, but odder. On his forehead was a little, blue horn that radiated weak light – oh, _and he had wings_. Big, pale blue feathery wings on his warty back that fluttered slowly back and fort, back and forth.  
>Levias opened his eyes and revealed huge, navy pupils that now rolled in the direction of Farore.<br>"Hi Levias!" she said. "How have you been?"  
>And much to Link's and Violet's surprise, the fish spoke.<br>"Alas, much better than last time", Levias replied with a deep, echoing voice. He sighed heavily, revealing that the heavy breathing noises from before had been his doing. "My back has finally stopped hurting, but my tail part is still itching like a thousand of parasites upon my poor skin. It has to be tended soon, or I will go mad from this."  
>Levias sighed again and shook his body slowly. Though it looked like he was careful, the walls around him started to crumble. Link gasped out in shock. Would the roof fall? Would they die right here and now?<br>No… Farore seemed unmoved by this.  
>"You look well, child", Levias complimented her. "As cheerful and full of life as usual. But who are your new-found friends?"<br>"Oh, these are Link and Violet… Din said they're Hylians! I haven't seen a Hylian in a very long time, so it's very exciting that he's here."  
>Levias gave Link and Violet a long, long gaze. His eyes were staring at Link as if they were trying to find something out, and Link stared back at one of the eyes, that blinked slowly and peacefully. Every move Levias did, and in the slow, calm tone that he spoke in, had the manner of him not having any trouble in the world at all. But his eyes told a different story… and his words from before.<br>"Maybe this young Hylian is the one to help me", Levias said with hope in his voice. "Yes… I can feel it. He is the one to…" he stopped himself for a minute before talking again:  
>"Farore… I want you to give a gift to this boy. Your lucky charm. The one you made the other day."<br>"What… no, I don't need any", Link shook his head.  
>Levias gave him a long look.<br>"Oh, but you do. Actually, I think that charm was intended for you. Farore, are you willing to give it up to this young man?"  
>"Sure!" Farore exclaimed and took something out from her pocket and gave it to Link.<br>He looked at it. The object was a small, golden triangle, and for some reason, green light was radiating from it.  
>"So, it was finally delivered", Levias said. "Good work, all three of you."<br>"Thank you, master Levias."  
>It was Nayru who had spoken. She and Din had entered the temple without Link noticing anything.<br>"So… all of them are given away." Din smiled. "So this is the one for… well, figures. He's up here and all… It's a bit weird though. But he's got to be the one, after all. I'm happy that all of this is over. Now we could maybe start our other mission."  
>"What are you talking about?" Violet asked, in a somewhat annoyed tone. But Din just kept on smiling and stretched her muscles.<br>"Nah… don't you worry about that."  
>Link wanted to know as well, but right at that moment, Levias asked everyone but Link and Violet to leave the temple. When the sisters had walked away Levias bowed down his enormous head to Link.<br>"Young one", he said, "you are looking for something."  
>"Yes. A piece of a scroll. My land, Hyrule, is in danger, and I entered this spirit world to retrieve the last one…"<br>Levias listened carefully as Link and Violet told the whole story.  
>"But how", he said when they were done, "did you then end up here? Because this is no spirit world. Not here."<br>"What?" Link asked.  
>"Then how did we get here, your honour?" Violet dared to ask. "Do you propose that we are dead? Dreaming? Or still in Hyrule?"<br>"None of them", Levias said and shook his head, "but you are very close to one of the spirit worlds."  
>"Wait… you mean to say, there are many of these worlds!?" Violet gasped.<br>"Indeed… and the princess was right about that you can find the last scroll piece through a spirit world. However, it is not through the world you will learn where it is. The scroll piece is hidden _inside_ one of the spirit worlds… and I know just which one."  
>"Ah!" Violet sighed happily. "That gladdens me to hear! Oh, great master Levias, grand winged fish of the sweet, blue heavens, will you kindly help us there?"<br>"Of course", Levias said. "Now, this might seem very odd… but you have to enter me."  
>Violet and Link tripped backwards. What had Levias said? Enter him!? Like… like they were fish food? No. This had to be a trick.<br>"I fool you not, young one", Levias said. "Let me show you. Grab Farore's charm and hold it close to you… now… stand ready…"  
>Aiming his horn at Link's heart and his hands where he held the charm, Levias shot a ray of light and merged the charm with Link's chest. It was a nice, warm feeling, and Link suddenly felt so much braver than he ever had done in his entire life. Streams of sweet-smelling, warm winds embraced Link both outside and inside of his clothes, and the bunny pendant danced wildly upon his chest.<br>Link felt the magic end. First when he opened his eyes he realized he had closed them.  
>"What was that?" Violet asked. But Levias didn't answer.<br>"Uh, hello?"  
>Everything was completely still for a moment. Then, with a loud sound, like if he was yawning, Levias opened his mouth. It was big, teethed and dark, but the darkest pit of his throat revealed a strange circle of pure, white light.<br>"I am no ordinary fish", he spoke without even moving his mouth. "As you have noticed, there is a sort of gate in my abyss. It connects this world to the spirit world – the one inside me. If you wish to retrieve the scroll piece, you must first pass the test."  
>"By entering your body?!" Violet shrieked. "Boy, that is the nastiest thing I have heard in all of my days, dead or alive!"<br>"That is precisely what you must do. Within awaits challenge after challenge, and if you make it through them all – even the ultimate one at the very end – the scroll piece is yours."  
>"We have no time for such nonsense!" Violet sputtered. "We need the scroll piece immediately, Hyrule is in danger!"<br>Levias was silent for a while. He closed his eyes and looked like he was asleep with his mouth wide open.  
>"Hyrule is indeed in danger", he said, "but not in the way you think. Has the enemy attacked you yet?"<br>"Sort of", Violet sneered, but Link heard that she was starting to doubt her own words. "They started by attacking the Royal Family and killing its king; moving on to poison the Great Tree, cursing the…"  
>"Yes, I know of that", Levias replied, "but has the enemy attacked any of <em>you, <em>the _Hylians, _since its first raid?"  
>Violet silenced. She realized that they hadn't. Link hadn't noticed it either until now. If the wizard or Vesperan wanted to attack Hyrule Castle and the town, they would've done it already. So why hadn't they?<br>"All will be answered in good time", Levias said, "but for now, you better take on this challenge if you truly wish to retrieve the ancient scroll to its former glory."  
>Link bit his lower lip and glanced at Violet.<br>"Well, what do you think? Should we do it?"  
>"Yes. We might as well do as he says", she sighed. "I see no other choice. Come on, let us get this done as fast as we can."<br>And so they advanced towards the big fish's mouth and into its body.


	19. Chapter 19: Fourth level - Levias' belly

**Chapter nineteen**

It took less courage than Link thought it would to enter the world within Levias. And curiosity took over more and more as he explored it.  
>The fish's belly didn't even look like it consisted of intestines. Sure, the structure reminded of an animal's inside; but it looked far from it. The floor was covered in a hazy, white smoke, and everything else looked like it was made of glass.<br>"Find your way through the maze and do not awaken the guards", Levias' voice echoed from somewhere above. "Only then can you proceed to the next challenge."  
>Only walking around the place turned out to be a challenge. Strange staircases ascended endlessly, or descended, if you so wished. Everything was so twisted, so it was hard to distinguish right from left or up from down. Just walking around there made Link feel dizzy. The guardians in there were trying to catch him and teleport him back to the beginning of the challenge, and, a few times, in spite of Link's ventures, he was caught. That annoyed him very much.<br>Occasionally there were empty rooms. But they were not harmless for that – just a few seconds later, the doors would lock, and enemies pop up to attack Link from all angles possible.  
>The enemies were a kind that neither he or Violet had seen before. They both looked and acted strange, so human-like, but at the same time not. They were shadow versions of a human. Fully equipped and armed shadows, at that, and Link had to struggle battling them. He was suddenly glad that Bo had taught him so much about fighting with swords. Who knew how things could have ended otherwise!<br>One of the shadow warriors resembled much to himself. It even copied all of his moves. Link had kept cool until Levias' voice carried out in a worried tone:  
>"Hmm… somehow, this one has been tampered with… watch out, young one."<br>"Tampered with!? What does he mean, tampered with!?" Link screamed.  
>"I don't know!" Violet screamed back. "There is no dark magic to the warrior; nay, but there is a stronger amount of it than the rest! Different, but it should not be too dangerous! Just battle it and try to defeat it!"<br>That Link hadn't be told to do twice. He fought with all his might. Every drop of sweat, every ounce of his blood boiled and he extended his efforts to the max…  
>… and after what seemed like an eternity, Link was tired, sweaty, bloody, torn and exhausted. But he had finally – finally – defeated his shadow clone.<br>"Good work, young one"; Levias complimented. "In the next room you will find some refreshing fairies extracted from the earth of Hyrule. Yes, it was wrong to just rip them away from there. But do not be alarmed: they will be returned to their home as soon as they have healed you. Take my word for it. Also, I have a gift for you; a weapon that might come in handy later on. It is in the chest up ahead of you."  
>"Thank you!"<br>And yes. In the next room, Link found jars containing fairies, and in the middle, a big chest. He opened it carefully and picked up its contents.  
>It was a weird, bended object of magic, and it could fly across the room in a rapid speed and then come back to him.<br>"It is a gadget called 'boomerang', I believe", Violet mumbled thoughtfully. "It can be used to hit or stun things before returning to its master's hand."  
>"Neat!"<br>Link tried it out at once to hit a few switches far away behind a wall, that he couldn't shoot with the arrows. The door to the next room unlocked.  
>Then he healed up with fairies, and even caught one in a bottle. Link hoped that the Fairy Queen would forgive him for his harshness; but if such a thing happened again as with the tampered shadow warrior, nobody knew what could come up next.<br>Since Levias kept quiet during the next challenges and puzzles, things seemed to go according to plan. He only spoke again when Link and Violet had reached a circle-round room that was much huger than all the other.  
>"Well done so far. This is the final challenge. Pass this, and the scroll piece is yours to take."<p>

And so, the door was locked and shut tight.  
>There was a hole in the middle of the room, leading to a floor directly under the one where Link was standing. He looked down, but saw nothing but pitch black darkness and a few glimmering things down there. Stars?<br>Seconds later, Link's face was hit. He was flung across the whole room, and Violet rushed to him to check up on his health.  
>"I'm fine", Link said. "No. Wait… what is that?"<br>From it shot a purple light out, but it didn't look exactly like light. It had mass. Link was sure of it.  
>"What in all of Hyrule could that be…?"<br>Violet took a good, long look at it, but she had no idea, either. She would have to look at it from a distance, she said.  
>"No, you will not", Levias voice echoed. "Young one, you will join me. This is the boy's challenge. Come outside."<br>"I refuse!" Violet shouted, but it was too late. Her body had already begun to fade.  
>"I refuse to leave Link!" she kept on raging. "He needs me by his side! Without me, the poor soul will die! I have no wish for him to end up like this, I need to help him, he…"<br>But whatever Violet wanted to say, remained unspoken. She was now entirely gone.  
>"Do not be alarmed. You will get your companion back as soon as you have cleared the challenge. Now, continue. Good luck."<br>Link clenched his teeth and looked at the purple light-mass. It was slowly taking shape before his eyes; first a cat, then a tiger, then a wolf, a rabbit, a dragon, and then…  
>Link couldn't believe it. In front of him stood a bird… no… a winged human? No… it had some kind of paws, but they still were hands. It didn't look evil… but empty, at the same time it was full of everything in the universe, like it had no heart, nor any soul, but that the universe took the place of its heart and soul inside its skin. It was such a beautiful creature.<br>"This is the Thunderbird, your final opponent. It is the remains and descendants of some of the ancient races that once lived in the place you saw in ruins. The Thunderbird is an eternal guardian of the sky. The spirit of all things alive."  
>Everything was silent for a minute as the Thunderbird bowed deeply to Link. Not knowing what to do, Link bowed back.<br>"Defeat your opponent.", Levias sounded. "Go."  
>And as soon as the echo of his voice had faded, the Thunderbird started moving. Its steps were heavy, and it sounded like giant rocks were raining down on the ground, but Link didn't drop his guard. He had to find a way to defeat the Thunderbird. The problem was that he couldn't look away from its face; if he did, the Thunderbird would attack faster than Link could blink. But as long as they stared each other in the face, it didn't even come touch him. This way Link couldn't defeat it. No, he had to find another way to tackle the problem.<br>"Oh, how I wish that Violet was here", he thought to himself. "She would know what to do. This is probably the easiest opponent so far to avoid, but how to beat it… how to beat it…"  
>He tried the arrows. The Thunderbird caught them with its teeth and snapped them in halves. Link tried to bomb it. The Thunderbird didn't even bother.<br>"How have I defeated the other bosses… enemies always try to protect their weakest spot… let's see… Paragohma with her eye… Black Dragon, Gava, and its belly… Vesperan had her face… what is it that this creature is protecting?"  
>He thought of how he had defeated Vesperan by clinging to the back of her head. Link pondered if he had to try to climb this beast's back too, when he finally realized it – oh, why hadn't this hit him before? – the Thunderbird was protecting its back!<br>"So this is what I need the boomerang for", Link grinned to himself. "Heh. Here we go!"  
>And he threw the magical weapon, and it flew faster than the Thunderbird could realize as it was so focused on looking straight forward. The boomerang hit the beast in the head and knocked it out for a few seconds. That's when Link ran up to it and slashed its furry tail, and then back into position when the Thunderbird rose again.<br>They kept going like that for a while until the Thunderbird had enough of being attacked again and again. It tried to catch Link, like a mouse between its paws, but it was too late. Link already knew how to defeat it, and soon, the Thunderbird was out of energy.  
>It took a few steps back and sat down. Link tried to attack it, but an invisible barrier hindered him.<br>"What's this!?" he screamed. "Cheating!"  
>He looked the Thunderbird in its eyes. They were calm and mild. Through one single gaze, it told Link that the fight was over. It bowed deeply and then dissolved into a huge, white cloud that blended with the air.<br>"Well done", said Levias. "Now, it is time to return. Step on the glowing tile in the middle of the room. You will come back to the temple where I reside. I will proudly give you the last piece of the scroll."  
>Unbelievable. It was finally over. Link had won. The scroll piece, the last scroll piece, it was his! Now he'd just claim it and return to Hyrule and save them all.<br>Link hurried to step on the tile that Levias had mentioned, and was immediately transported out of the room.  
>However, he did not end up in Levias temple. He ended up nowhere.<p>

Link looked around. Nobody was around, and he could see nothing but a thick, white fog.  
>"Hello!?" he shouted. "Where am I!? Levias! You trickster! Bring me back at once, or I'll…"<br>"Levias is not here."  
>It was a woman's voice who had called. Soft and gentle, the spokeswoman appeared. She was soaring in the air in front of Link and looked very beautiful. She was dressed in a long, flowing white dress, and her head was full of just as long and flowing dark hair. Her golden headdress and jewels glowed faintly in the fog.<br>"Who are you?" Link asked, lifting his sword, ready to attack.  
>"You have no need of your weapons", said the woman. "I promise I won't hurt you."<br>"Who are you?" Link asked again, not knowing if he should trust the woman or not. She descended and landed on his level, but she didn't walk up closer to him.  
>"I have been watching you", she said. "I have seen all of your bravery and your deeds. What an honourable soul! Such a true hero…"<br>Link examined the woman. The woman seemed harmless, but he couldn't be too sure yet.  
>"What of it?" he asked. "What is this place? Why am I not back with Levias and my friend?"<br>"I promise to take you back soon enough", she. "I just wanted to take a good look at you."  
>And just like that, the woman stepped forward and touched his cheek. Her hand was soft, like silk, and she stroke his face once, slowly.<br>"A true hero indeed… I hope you will restore balance in Hyrule… and all the other places, as well… oh, so much unbalance there is right now in the world… she still has gotten it all, her power to protect her people, and I have nothing…"  
>"What do you mean?" Link asked.<br>The woman smiled and stepped back. She scanned him before saying:  
>"You asked who I am. My name is Loraley."<br>She walked backwards as she faded into the background.  
>"I'm counting on you to do this for me, to follow all this through. I beg you. And even if you fail, I will be there to guide you. Justice shall prevail", she said, "and balance will again return to the worlds. I hope my friend will forgive me. But I cannot let her have what I don't have anymore. I can't stand it. Not anymore."<br>Loraley took another, wider step back and beamed with all her face.  
>"Take care, my true hero."<br>And just like that, she was gone. Link was left alone for a few seconds before he felt that he was the ground suddenly no more existed, and he fell into an endless void. Loraley's voice echoed in his head as everything turned black.  
>"Say hi to Hylia for me, okay?"<p>

When Link opened his eyes again, he saw Violet and Farore leaning over him.

He had no memories of what just had happened, just that he had been inside Levias, and battled that Thundercat… bird!... thingy… or whatever… and now he was here.  
>No… something had happened. Something strange, something that made him feel uneasy. Something very… no. Whatever it was, it could not have been that important. Not as important to live in the moment, where two happy girls exhaled out tension the same second they saw Link's eyes open.<br>"Oh, you're awake!" Farore bounced up from happiness.  
>"Oh, joy", Violet snivelled and looped backwards in a few happy pirouettes. "I thought you were dead; and that you would return no more!"<br>"What… happened?"  
>"You came out in that condition - consciousness. It was horrible. Levias assured that you were fine, but how would I know? I have never seen a dead or fainted person before… well, except myself", Violet excused. "But that is beside the point. I just feel that I am happy to see you alive and well, sir Link."<br>Link gave her a crooked smile.  
>"I thought you had stopped calling me 'sir'."<br>"Sometimes I forget. 'Tis normal."  
>"Sure it is", Link said and stood up and looked at Levias. "Well", he continued. "I believe that you have something to give me?"<br>"Indeed I have", Levias agreed. "Farore?"  
>Farore nodded. She took out something from her pocket.<br>"First the charm, and now this", Link laughed. "You're too kind."  
>"Not as kind as you! I know why you're doing this. Levias and Violet told me."<br>She grinned as she placed the little box – this one was made out of glass – with the scroll piece inside. Link felt happier for each second he looked at it. Finally, he had all four! What a glorious triumph!  
>"Now we just need to return to Hyrule!" he said. "How are we going to do that?"<br>"Oh, you did not listen, did you, Link?" Violet teased. "I will show you how. Let us get back to where we started."

After bidding farewell to Din, Nayru and Farore, Link and Violet returned to the spot where they had first appeared in the sky kingdom of ruins. Violet told him to relax and closed his eyes as she mumbled something, something that reminded Link of what Castor had spoken earlier, but much, much softer…  
>And with a magical feeling, as if he turned into air, his body was lifted off the ground and landed softly on the bed in the library.<br>He opened his eyes. Violet was in front of him, brightly waiting for his awakening, and by his side on a high chair sat princess Zelda. She was holding his hand, squeezing it softly, radiating a warming light that Link felt that somehow was sent trough his hand and arm into the rest of his body. The warmth was in his muscles, in his bloodstream. It was an amazing feeling.  
>The princess' eyes had been shut tight, but upon feeling that Link sat up in the bed, she opened them widely. Link noticed that they were a deep shade of blue and seemed overjoyed to see him. Zelda's happy gasp alerted Impa, who greeted Link by cracking a diagonal smile and nodding at him.<br>Link was just about to greet them, too, when the princess shushed him.  
>"Shh", she hurried to whisper, "the other ones are asleep."<br>So they were. Among the mess of endless books and documents lied Aran, Pollux and Sheik on desk and floors. Castor was snoring quietly in his wheelchair. The room looked messier than ever, and sort of funny. Link snickered at the sight.  
>Impa, immune to such humour, walked up to the bed and asked:<br>"Well? Did you find anything out?"  
>"More than you think."<br>Link dug in his pocket. He took out the glass box and handed it to the princess. She and Impa stared at it with eyes big as saucers, asking "how" and "why", but Link shrugged. Violet sat down and smiled at them, explaining:  
>"We got lucky. We have all four. Your Grace, our mission is almost fully accomplished."<br>"Indeed", the princess replied and examined the box. She held it with care, as if she was afraid she'd shatter it grasping it even tighter. Her eyes got teary with joy as she smiled and looked at Violet and Link.  
>"I knew that you'd do fine. Thank you. Both of you."<br>"Not a problem", Link smiled.  
>"No, the mission itself was not a problem, no", Violet agreed. "However, there is another distressing matter I would like to discuss with you, your Grace, your ladyship."<br>"Why? Has something happened?" asked Impa.  
>But before anyone could say anything else, Aran groaningly woke up. She blinked a few times, staring at Link. Focusing her eyes, she saw him and screamed:<br>"Link! Link, you made it! Hey, everyone! Wake up! Link is back!"  
>And one by one, Castor, Pollux and Sheik woke up to rejoice Link's return. Castor wanted to know everything about the spirit world and how the magic had worked, but the princess said that it had to wait. Other things had to be taken care of first. That didn't hinder them to praise Link and Violet for their bold trip, however.<br>"Man, you're so cool!" Sheik complimented. "Well? Did you succeed?"  
>Zelda proudly held up the glass box with the last scroll piece as Link got out the other three. Everyone applauded. Such great joy! And now, it was time to put them all together.<br>"Let's see if we can put them together with magic", Aran said. "It would be a much easier read. Look! Some of the letters are cut in half… and they're so blurry already, so it's hard to interpret them as it is…"  
>They emptied the desk (by just shoving everything off on the floor) and placed the entire scroll there. The wooden sticks on the end, both broken in halves, were such a trouble when trying to put all the pieces in an at least somewhat proper place, but finally, they managed to piece it together and feel content about it.<br>"Well", Castor said, "now all it needs is to be completed. Who will have the honours?"  
>"Miss Violet will", said the princess. "Together with me. If you accept this, of course, which I really do hope. It would make me happy."<br>"Naturally, your Grace! Such an honour! Thank you!"  
>"No." Princess Zelda smiled. "Thank <em>you<em>, Violet."  
>Violet blushed as she and Zelda took their places. They put their hands above the broken scroll and closed their eyes, concentrating their magic to reflect the scroll. Everyone around watched in amazement how it slowly healed into one, whole piece.<br>"That was that", Violet said, "and now, we can use it to find the sword."  
>A troubled crease appeared in her forehead as she continued:<br>"This has not been an easy mission, especially not for Link, who is the one to have endured all the physical hardships and battles. I admire him very much for it. He has helped me grow as a person, when I have watched him work so hard for Hyrule and his lost magician friend." She nodded approvingly before turning stern again.  
>"However, there is something that troubles me. Up in the sky – or, what you would have believed to be the spirit world… nay, the story is too long to be brought up now… no matter wha, my point is, all in all: in there, we realized that the enemy has not attacked the Hylians personally. Well, with the exception of the possessed soldier", she nodded to Sheik, "which of course was a tragedy, but we handled it with ease. Other than that, they have not touched us, not even spoken to us."<br>With honest confusion in her face, she turned her face to princess Zelda. "Why is that?"  
>Everyone was silent. Their looks turned worried as Impa and Zelda gasped, they guffawed, and they turned to each other with faces like stone.<br>"She's right", the princess whispered, "why haven't they attacked?"

"We've had no reason to do it until now", a deep voice echoed.  
>And with a strong gust of wind, the wizard appeared in the library, right in front of their eyes.<p>

_**- **__**E**__**nd**____**of part three**_


	20. Chapter 20: Fatal pasts

_**P**__**art four**_

**Chapter twenty**

Everyone immediately prepared for battle. They rushed to attack, but the wizard blew them off with a strong wind that sent them flying into the walls. There, some kind of gooey mass glued them to the wall, making everyone unable to move. Zelda immediately tried to loosen things with her magic, and Impa wildly started to cut her way out with her nails.  
>But Violet wasn't even affected by the spell. She stood afloat in the air, facing the wizard with an angry look on her face.<br>"Master!" she screamed. "No… no. That is wrong. You are not worthy of that title, not at all… I shall use your name… the one your fiends call you, the one my dear, poor father always used to title you…"  
>She inhaled deeply.<br>"You are…" Violet said loudly, "the one called the Wind mage."  
>The wizard sneered.<br>"Little Violet! Long time no see. What a surprise. Such a lovely arm you have gotten. Is it to compensate for the one I tore from your body?"  
>"You really do not look that surprised to see me", Violet said annoyed, ignoring his remark.<br>"You're right. I lied. Do you know why I knew that you were here?"  
>Violet stared at the wizard for a long while. Everyone waited anxiously for her answer, but alas - slowly, she shook her head.<br>"Heh", the wizard scoffed. "Well, if you had known more, perhaps you would have figured it out. You are certainly no fool. But I have no time for this. I came for something completely else."  
>He walked up to the princess and looked her in the eyes. His was gleaming red with ill will.<br>"Princess Zelda", he begun with a drawling voice. "You lied to me. You broke our pact. Under my nose, you have plotted how to stop my plans! What a foolish move. For this, you shall suffer more than anyone else. That is, unless…"  
>"Unless what?" she said defiantly. "No matter what you want me to do, I will not do it! I will protect my people!"<br>He smiled, a crooked, evil grin which exposed his pearly white teeth. He grabbed her chin and held her head in place, examining the princess' face thoroughly.  
>"Hands off the princess!" Impa shouted.<br>She tried to break loose, and kept screaming bad words and threats, but she could do nothing. The wizard gave her an annoyed look and silenced her with a brush of his finger through the air. After that, when Impa tried speaking, shouting and screaming, no sounds came out of her throat.  
>Violet flied up to the wizard and tried to take his hand away. That must've agitated him too much, because the next second, she was trapped in a bottle.<br>"Violet!" Link screamed.  
>The wizard looked at the bottle and snorted. Then he tossed it in front of Link's feet.<br>"You can have it", he said. "She's worthless anyways."  
>Link saw how Violet struggled in there to get out. Her and Impa's frustration altogether made him feel hopeless.<br>"Where was I… oh, yes."  
>The wizard turned back to Zelda.<br>"You have a great power in you", he said. "It's not as great as the one I am looking for, but… it will do for now. With this power, there is so much I can do…"  
>"I will never give it up to the likes of you", the princess hissed.<br>The wizard laughed slowly.  
>"I expected just as much. But I'm a kind man; I can give you another chance. There is another way for you to apologize for your foolishness."<br>Princess Zelda stared at him. The wizard continued:  
>"What if you find a way to save your people? One, where you still have them under your reign, but surrender nonetheless? What do you say; would you do it?"<br>"What do you mean…?" Zelda whispered tensely.  
>"You make a fine bride. Marry me, and I will be a much kinder ruler. I promise."<br>"The princess will never do that!" Sheik shouted. "Not on my watch!"  
>And, somehow – he had broken free from the glue that had held him. He stood behind the wizard, with sword in hand, and faced him. Link stared at the scene, not knowing what to think. How did he do that?<br>"Surrender!" Sheik shouted. "Or you will answer to me!"  
>The wizard sneered.<br>"So, a battle, then? Against you, little boy? I don't believe so."  
>He walked up to Sheik, who started shaking wildly, but stood ready to attack at will. The wizard snorted and glanced at the scroll.<br>"Oh, I will be taking this, if you don't mind", he said. "If I cannot have the princess, then at least I will stall you from fulfilling your task."  
>And with one move of the finger, the scroll flew into his hand.<br>"Yes, I do mind, actually", Sheik hissed between his clenched teeth. He readied his fists, and grabbed his spear that leaned against the desk.  
>The wizard came closer. Now he towered over Sheik, but the boy stood ready, tense, and looked the most nervous he had probably been in his entire life. But there was something in his glance. Sheik would succeed. His whole body might tell him otherwise, but his spirit was determined.<br>As much as Link admired that, he would like to help, because this was a hopeless situation nonetheless. Sheik could never take on the wizard by himself! Link's frustration grew for each second he looked at them.  
>However, help came from another place. Or rather, person.<br>Somehow, Aran, too, had managed to free herself. And while the wizard was turned the other way, she uncorked the bottle where Violet was held captive and released her spirit.  
>Directly after the popping sound of the opening bottle, a violent fountain of white light shot out of the bottle. Violet came out, with the face of a mad man, and her scream was just as horrible as a dozen of loud, untuned violins.<br>She looked at the wizard with great fury. Link had never seen anyone be this angry. Her face was like an aggressive bull's, eyes wide and red, fists shaking with power, ready to attack anything that came in her way. Violet was panting heavily and gathering magic in her hands, while rising her fake one to attack.  
>She didn't need to be agitated much. Just one look from the wizard, and they clashed. Link screamed. Everything turned to white. A horrible sound was heard. A loud scream, a clonk, and something was set on fire.<br>And then, nothing.

When Link could see again, Violet and the wizard were gone. So was the scroll.  
>Aran and Sheik helped freeing the others under a wild discussion.<p>

"We must find the scroll!" Impa shouted. "Everyone's in danger!"  
>"But we need to take care of the wizard first!" Sheik insisted, "I will do it! Impa, I refuse you do it! If your job is to protect the princess, then my job is to protect you!"<br>Impa and Sheik looked like they could start arguing any minute. Aran, Castor and Pollux had to hold them back for them not to get close to each other while the screamed bad ideas and insults at each other.  
>"Stop it!" the princess tried.<br>But it was all in vain. They kept arguing, drawing Aran, Castor and Pollux into it, until Zelda shouted at them. And she looked so angry.  
>"This is no way to handle the situation!" she screamed. "Pull yourselves together!"<br>They stared at the princess. Nobody could ever have imagined her this upset about things. But, as they once had turned silence, Link took the opportunity to ask:  
>"What happened to Violet…?"<br>Everyone looked surprised at him, but before anyone had time to comment on that, a soldier rushed in. He panted heavily when he stopped.  
>"What is it?" asked the princess.<br>"The castle!" the soldier shouted in despair. "The castle… they're fighting… hurry!"

On the way there, they decided that they'd wait to see what the strategy would be. All would depend on what happened next.  
>They didn't have to wait long. In the throne room, stood a lot of soldiers, trying to stop the wizard and Vesperan from wrecking the whole place. Link noticed that the wizard was holding something in his hand that reminded of Violet's hourglass. Had he managed to trap her inside it again? Would he take her somewhere?<br>But Link had no time to find out, because he was shocked to see that Vesperan was raging mad and was quarrelling with the wizard. Her face was in tears as she yelled foul words to him.

"You promised!" she shouted. "You promised that you would marry me when all of this is over! You promised! And then you go and… argh!"  
>She threw a black orb at the wizard, which he avoided it with ease.<br>"Stand still so I can kill you, you traitorous little…"  
>"You will never hit me", the wizard said, "besides, I haven't promised that. What I promised was something completely else, and I have found it for you."<br>"You've what?"  
>Vesperan ceased her fire. That's when Zelda and Impa tried to attack, but the wizard just teleported out of their way.<br>"Let us discuss this somewhere else. I will return here shortly", he said with an icy gaze at the princess, "and settle this for good."  
>"You will never succeed!" Zelda screamed, but the wizard probably didn't hear, for he was already gone.<br>The soldiers looked around, but no evil was to be found. Impa walked up to the princess and asked:  
>"Do you have a plan?"<br>Zelda stood quiet for a while, her fists clenched tightly, and she was shaking with anger.  
>"Prepare for battle", she said and walked away. "I will meet up with you soon. I need a minute."<br>"Alright, you heard her, men!" Impa shouted. "Go! Prepare yourselves! A war is upon us."  
>Together with the soldiers, Sheik, Aran, Castor and Pollux walked away. The two latter ones have told of a flying machine they had built that could be used in battle. Aran went to call in the witches, and Sheik went… somewhere, just somewhere.<br>Impa told Link to prepare mentally as well as she left to go look for the princess. But Link had no time to worry or prepare. He had noticed something that everybody else had failed to see.  
>Someone was curled up behind the throne. It was pulsating and weak, but it was a person. Link immediately knew who.<br>"Violet!" he shouted and rushed to Violet's side.  
>Indeed it was her. She looked tired, and more transparent than ever – almost completely invisible. She wasn't feeling well, that Link was sure of. But he was glad that the wizard still hadn't captured her. Maybe he just took the old hourglass she had been slumbering in. Oh, how glad Link was to see her!<br>"Violet…" he said.  
>She opened her eyes, letting out a faint chuckle.<p>

"I did it", she said. "I got it back."  
>And from somewhere close to her heart, she produced the scroll. Handing it to Link, she added:<br>"But they are planning something… we need to hurry…"  
>"Of course, Violet. Don't you worry. We've got this. Let's go get that sword."<br>"Also… Link… they will return soon. They plan to kill all of you… and they have… they have…"  
>"What?" Link asked. "What is it that they have?"<br>Violet looked away.  
>"Do you remember what I told of the red-haired evil? He is back", she uttered, "and he is here to destroy us all, dead and alive. We need to retrieve that sacred sword. Now."<p>

Carrying Violet in his arms, Link hurried towards the castle gates. They had to go back to the Prisoner and ask her in which direction they had to go to find the sacred sword. But before he could exit, he met up with Sheik in the hall. He was leading troops that fought monsters that had entered the castle.  
>"We need a little help!" he screamed. "Link, please!"<br>Link was not late to obey. He started slashing monsters here and there, and together with the soldiers, they managed to wipe out almost all of them.  
>The princess turned up again, sword in hand and with Impa by her side. They battled the enemies furiously. But, strangely enough, when the foes were almost gone, more would always pop up.<br>"There must be a portal somewhere near!" Impa shouted. "We need to go see where and destroy it!"  
>"I'm coming with you!" Sheik screamed.<br>She gazed into the young soldier's eyes, looking angrier than ever.  
>"No, you're staying here, and you better…"<br>Impa didn't even have time to finish her sentence before the wizard turned up again. He looked sourly at them.  
>"Well, well!" he said. "Arguing again, are we? Such pathetic humans! I'll show you something to be really upset about!"<br>Aiming his hand towards Sheik and his troop, he sent out a dark beam against them. It took only seconds to reach them. They had no time to evade it. They were hit.  
>"NO!" Impa and Zelda screamed. Impa tried to run and save them, but it was too late. When the beam had worn off I had already affected the soldiers. They had turned into stone.<br>The wizard shifted his gaze to the princess.  
>"And now, you", he said slowly. "I've decided it. Now that Vesperan is out of the game, you will marry me, no matter if you like it or not. And then, I will rip the Light Force right out of your heart."<br>He raised a big, fake arm, just like Violet's, and made an attempt to grab Zelda. But before he could even touch her, Impa got in his way and cut the arm to dust.  
>"Princess! Run!" she shouted.<br>And for once, princess Zelda found it wise to escape.  
>"You aren't getting away with this!" the wizard shouted.<br>"Oh yes, she is", Link shouted back, and together with Impa and the soldiers that hadn't been turned to stone, they started to fight the wizard.  
>With joined forces, they managed to defeat the wizard – for the moment. He didn't die, but at least he was exhausted enough not to go after the princess.<br>"I will return", he said. "And when I do, my strength will have increased so much than ever before. Just wait."  
>And with a poof, he disappeared.<br>"Where's the princess!?" Link asked.  
>"I don't know! We need to go look for her", Impa said. "Help me search the castle!"<p>

Hours later, they had not seen a trace of princess Zelda. Violet slowly came around while Link was searching, insisting that they had to go get the sword before it was too late.  
>"But what of the princess?" Link asked. "She needs to be protected first. We don't know if the wizard snatches her away while we are out looking for the sword. We need to secure her."<br>Violet agreed that it was a good point, and joined the search. But nothing was found. Impa met up with Link later in the hall with the stone soldiers. She was shedding a few tears, stroking Sheik's shoulder.  
>"Why you", she whispered. "You silly boy. You silly, good-hearted boy…"<br>She turned around. Link was surprised to see sadness in her otherwise so strict yet calm face.  
>"Oh", she said. "You surprised me."<br>"Still no sign of the princess?"  
>"Not a trace. What about you? Oh… Violet. So you got back safe and sound."<br>Impa snivelled quietly.  
>"Good. At least someone is saved. Too bad it was the one that's already dead."<br>"You fear that the princess is dead?"  
>"Might be. Link… can you walk with me? Just for a while."<br>Impa walked up a big staircase and to the next floor. Link followed her.  
>"I have searched all of the secret rooms and corridors I know of. No princess. Without her, Hyrule will certainly be doomed. The wizard must not find her. Her power, the Light Force, is rarely known among civilians, but the ones who know of it is just aware of it being called the Light Force and that it runs within the Royal Family."<br>They walked up the next staircase.  
>"However, there's much more to it than just that. I swear, if the wizard gets his hand on that power… we're doomed for sure."<br>"I've heard that so many times already, I'm not sure what to believe", Link said with a crooked smile. "Violet has told me a lot of things that would destroy our world as we know it. And none of them have happened so far, even if we're close."  
>"I have", Violet said. "Also… General Impa, your ladyship… even if the princess would be dead, would all hope really be lost?"<br>"Yes." Impa sounded empty. "I believe it would."  
>Link reached out his hand to pat Impa on the shoulder. That's when he noticed that a shadow was watching them from a rooftree, just above them.<br>He drew his sword and looked up. Impa turned around to see the character, who jumped down in a shadowed area and ran away.  
>"Halt!" Impa commanded, and the chase begun.<br>What kind of dangerous enemy could this be? Link hoped that it wasn't the wizard who had eavesdropped. But how could it? This person was much smaller, more agile and didn't even use magic…  
>Impa and Link stopped in a narrow corridor, close to a small staircase that lead up to a tower. They had lost the fiend.<br>"Damn", Impa swore, "I was sure we had him."  
>And just then, the enemy jumped down right in front of them.<br>He didn't do a thing. He stood a few metres away, looking at them with his red, piercing eyes. He had blonde hair and was wearing an ancient Sheikah garment. He looked a lot like… Sheik.  
>"The princess isn't dead", he said, with a voice that actually sounded like Sheik's. "But you cannot stop your mission now. You need to be careful. Dark clouds are gathering above the Castle Town. We're in danger. Stop looking for the princess. I assure you she isn't dead."<br>But Impa didn't seem to care anymore. Not when she gazed upon the character in front of her.  
>"Sheik…?" she wondered. "What are you doing!? Weren't you turned into stone? What are you doing in that Sheikah battle suit? I told you…"<br>Impa looked into the eyes of Sheik, who said nothing.  
>"No", Impa said firmly. "You are not Sheik. Who are you!?"<br>But the fake Sheik didn't reply. With fast and agile moves, he disappeared up the stairs, running for the towers.  
>Impa started running after him. She shouted over her shoulder:<br>"Link! I will take care of this. You go to the Prisoner and search for the sword!"  
>And so she set off, chasing the fake Sheik, while Link and Violet returned downstairs to the castle exit.<br>They stopped where the soldiers had fought. Link took a closer look at Sheik. On his armour, he had carved the Sheikah symbol – the all-seeing eye, the one which could see through any secret. Link knew that, as uncle Archie had told about it sometime during his childhood. Sheik had grown up as a good Sheikah, true to his people.  
>If not… wait. Wasn't that a pendant around his neck? Link took a closer look and examined the stone pendant. When he touched it, he felt how his blood froze. It couldn't be… it simply couldn't be!<br>The design resembled, of course. It was a simple, cut and carved animal, and the texture looked like it could be wooden. This was not a rabbit; but a fox with slanting eyes. Link knew he had seen this fox somewhere else. His mother used to draw it… and his little brother was very fond of it… his little brother got the fox pendant…  
>Looking into Sheik's desperate eyes, Link slowly took a few steps back, feeling more and more scared and confused for each second that went by. And then, suddenly, he turned around and dashed out of the castle.<p>

"Wait! Link! Sir Link! Wait!"  
>Violet came flying behind him in a rapid speed, asking for Link to slow down. But he kept on running. He had to. This couldn't be true. Sheik was a Sheikah! How could he be Link's lost brother? It was impossible! It had to be! It couldn't be! It just… it just…!<br>"Link. Stop at once!"  
>And, by some magical force, Link stopped. He tried to move, but he couldn't. Violet had locked him and frozen his position.<br>Before his eyes she appeared with a worried look on her face.  
>"Link, what is the matter? You have never acted in such a way before."<br>Link didn't reply.  
>"Oh, please. You know I can easily distinguish this behaviour from your normal one. Something is upsetting you, my friend, and I wish to know what. I want to help you."<br>"It's nothing…" Link mumbled.  
>"Yes it is. I know you, Link. Please tell me… I have no wish for you to suffer. If we are going to save Hyrule, you need to ease your heart to stay focused. Now", she said and sat down before him, releasing the spell Link was under. "Tell me everything."<br>And so, Link sat down to tell Violet about his past.

"I have no idea what happened that day", he begun. "I just know that father came in, early, while we were asleep, telling that someone was after us. I come from another place, far, far away, that had been under tyranny for such a long time. Father hurried to awake the whole family and ready the carriage. And then he took us away.  
>We rode for days. I can't remember how many. Father said that we'd be safe in Hyrule. It was a long way there, and we had almost made it, when someone attacked… I can't… I can't remember, I just know that… all of us siblings split up. We were put to hide while mother and father tried to find a safe place for us to live… but none ever returned. Not my siblings, and not my parents. I'm just so lucky that uncle Archie found me that day. If he hadn't, I would've starved to death."<br>"I see." Violet tilted her head to the side. "But, pray tell, what does that have to do with all of this? Why did you start running away just so suddenly?"  
>"Because", Link said, "of this."<br>He took out his bunny pendant and showed it to Violet. He realized that this is the first time in their entire short friendship she had seen it.  
>"This is a pendant I got from my father when I was little", he said. "He made each one the day before we left. It was meant as birthday gifts, I think, but he asked mother to give them to us while we fled. I think it was to make us feel safer. Braver. It worked."<br>"What a pleasant gesture", Violet commented.  
>"Yes. This bunny-rabbit has always made me feel so full of courage every time I look at it." Link swallowed an impulse to cry and continued: "As a child, I loved to believe that my siblings saw their pendants the same way. If they still were alive, that is."<br>Violet nodded. "And?"  
>"And… for the longest of time, I waited for any of them to return. After many years, I gave up my hope. And suddenly, I see my little brother's pendant around Sheik's neck."<br>Without noticing it, Link had started to cry.  
>"Don't you think it's confusing!? Don't you think I'm afraid!? Here, I have believed that my entire family is dead, and so many things happen, and I get dragged into a war, I make new friends, and one of them turns into stone, and then… and… then…"<br>Link started to cry. Tears and snot was running down his face as he let out all of his feelings. It felt good. Relieving, somehow, and the pain bobbed up and down in his chest, getting lighter every time, until it finally started to ease up a little bit more.  
>"…Thank you", Link said to Violet. "Thank you for listening."<br>"Not a problem." Violet patted his shoulder with her normal hand and smiled. "I am very glad that I could be a friend in your hour of need, Link."  
>They looked at each other in a very deep unity. Then, suddenly, Violet jerked wildly, as if she had been hit with an electrical shock.<br>"Link!" she jolted. "The Prisoner!"  
>"Yes, I know", Link sighed and got up, wiping his snot on his sleeve. "We need to go back to her and find out the location of the sacred sword."<br>"No, it's not that!" Violet shouted. "The Prisoner… she is in danger!"  
>"What!?"<p> 


	21. Chapter 21: The beast awakens

**Chapter twenty-one**

"I have no idea what it is; but we need to hurry! Link, hold on to me, I will try to teleport us there!"  
>"Isn't that dangerous!?"<br>"Yes, but I could not care less! This is a dire situation! I will now grab you!" she warned, and with her giant fake limb, she wrapped her fingers around Link's body.  
>"Are you ready!? Three… two… one… now!"<br>And with a dark, soft cloud, they were sent into the air.

They flew with a rapid speed over the sky of Hyrule. Link saw how houses, trees and people passed by in nanoseconds as he flew over their heads.  
>He couldn't speak. He didn't even dare open his mouth in fright of getting a bug or a bird clogged in his throat.<br>Violet manoeuvred her power with incredible focus. She was determined to take them to the Fairy Fountain in seconds, and she succeeded. Only a short moment later, she and Link had landed outside the gates of he sacred place.  
>"Hurry!" Violet shouted as she flied before Link into the Fountain.<br>Link came running after and, much to his shock, he saw a horrible scene.  
>The Prisoner was out. Her chains were still binding her to the cave, but they had been stretched so long that they couldn't hold her inside the abyss any longer. She looked at, or, that's what Link believed, through her mask at Vesperan, who stood a few metres away, panting heavily as she stared viciously at the Prisoner.<br>And in between them was the Fairy Queen. Her head was bent down and her arms stretched out to separate the two others as much as possible.  
>"How dare you to show up here!?" The Fairy Queen shouted at Vesperan. "Who are you, and why are you attacking my prisoner!?"<br>"Your prisoner!? Well, that means that there are two of us who wish her to be punished", Vesperan sputtered. "Move aside! I promise not to hurt you if you step back. But you have to do it now!"  
>The Fairy Queen lifted her head and looked at Vesperan, but she did not leave the spot.<br>"What business do you have in this sacred fountain?" she asked with a strict voice.  
>"Move aside!" Vesperan shouted.<br>Link had had enough. Without thinking, he drew his sword and rushed to Vesperan, ready to attack.  
>"You again!" she hissed upon seeing him. "You're a nuisance! Go away!"<br>And while she was distracted, the Prisoner said:  
>"Stop this, Ves. Stop this while you can."<br>Vesperan turned to the Prisoner with a foul and bitter look in her eyes.  
>"What, so you can try to take my place again, just as you tried back home? Oh what a smart move, trying to convince my people that I was controlling them, like a tyrant!"<br>"But you were", the Prisoner opposed. "I just wanted them to realize what you were doing – what our family had been doing ever since our culture was established!"  
>"Enough!" Vesperan shouted. "I've had it with your silly little games! You will no more destroy my life!"<br>She shot out a dark beam, but the Fairy Queen absorbed it and groaned out in pain.  
>"What is the meaning of this!?" Violet shrieked and flied to the Fairy Queen to look at her burned face. She looked at Vesperan and screamed. "Why are you doing this!?"<br>"It has nothing to do with you!" Vesperan growled. "Back off, you're in my way!"  
>"No."<br>It was the Prisoner who had spoken.  
>"This will be settled just between the two of us."<br>"Fine by me", Vesperan said, "that is why I came here in the first place. Not so you could hide behind your little friends… oh, but they have betrayed you, all of them, haven't they?" She sneered. "My master has told me all about it. How you tried to convince him to return to us and save us, believing you could change his heart, as his master once had… oh, how wrong you were! And then you stayed here in Hyrule, trying to look for other allies… and they turned your back, too, didn't they, when they found out what you had done. Didn't they!? Didn't they, huh!? Answer me!"  
>The Prisoner was silent. Her mask covered her face and all the feelings that she possibly could feel, but Link was sure he caught a glimpse of despair from her silence.<br>"And now, you're going to die right in front of them", Vesperan continued ruthlessly. "Oh, what a waste of all your hard work… good-bye forever, Orience!"  
>And as Vesperan tried to attack the Prisoner, which she oddly enough had called Orience, Link attacked.<br>He swung his sword right into her shoulder and damaged her badly.  
>"Not so fast!" he said. "You and I have unfinished business to take care of first!"<br>Vesperan snorted at him.

"Oh, you want the old man back, of course. Well, take him! I have no need for him any longer!"  
>She magically produced a body in the air and dropped it on the ground. Master Gabriel! Link hurried up to the old man to see if he was alive. He was; but his breath was very faint and none of his muscles moved.<br>"And now", Vesperan said, turning back to the Prisoner, "Orience…"  
>But when she faced the Prisoner, she gasped out in sheer surprise. The Prisoner had taken off her mask.<br>In front of them stood a radiant beauty, with huge eyes, gray skin and long, brown hair, some of tied in a lightly odd do on the back of her head. She looked like royalty. She was royalty, Link realized upon seeing how much she resembled to Vesperan.  
>And suddenly he understood it all.<br>"So you're Vesperan's lost sister", he uttered quietly.  
>"Indeed I am", the Prisoner said. "I am princess Orience of the banned people."<br>"The banned people…" Violet whispered. Mesmerized, Violet just gawked at both of the sisters.  
>The Prisoner, or, Orience, as she was now revealed to be, lifted her arm.<br>"And by the power vested in me, I hereby ban you, Vesperan, my older sister and heir to the throne of my homeland, from this land of peace and happiness."  
>"And how will you do that?" Vesperan sneered. "Which power are you speaking of, by the way? You have no more magical power than me!"<br>"It is true that you possess more shadow magic than I did to start with", Orience said, "but I have grown, and also learnt the magic of light and love, a kind of magic that you will never understand."  
>"You're lying!"<br>"So why did you treat our people the way you did!?"  
>"It's tradition!"<br>"To heck with tradition! You were torturing the poor souls!"  
>"Does it matter!? I felt good, you felt good, we lived a life in unending luxury! And then <em>you<em> hade to screw it all up by going back to Hyrule…"  
>Orience could apparently not take this anymore. She sent a ray of orange light right into Vesperan's face. The ray hit her right eye, burning it away quick. Vesperan screamed from pain.<br>"You little…! This… my eye… it's gone… You'll pay for this!"  
>"Not until you stop treating others like slaves!"<br>Vesperan shot out a ray at Orience's eyes, which sent her screaming and erasing her irises as well as her pupils. Her eyes burned in white fires.  
>"How do you like that, little sister?!" Vesperan shouted again. "When you're blind, you can't hit me! Hah! Time to end this once and for all!"<br>She raised her arms. Orience raised her arms. Their magical attacks clashed in the middle, but none of them managed to harm the other. The Fairy Queen stood in the middle, absorbing their magic again. She groaned in pain. She had done it before when the sisters had attacked, but this time, something was different with her.  
>The Fairy Queen beamed it all up, and like a bomb about to explode, she unleashed her fury at both of them.<br>The sisters closed their eyes, or, well, what remained of them when they were sent flying through the air. When they opened them again, they both were transformed.  
>They had wings, and their skin was paler and all of them had shifted into paler, colder colours. Vesperan looked at her new appearance. She did not seem happy with it.<br>"My… my… my lovely, regal gown… my beautiful skin… my hair…"  
>She touched everywhere, and shrieked out of panic when she realized that she had grown a pair of wings. It echoed loudly through all of the forest.<br>"What have you done to me!?" she screamed at the Fairy Queen. "You foul little rascal! I will punish you, I will kill you, right here, right now!"  
>But Orience got first to her. Touching her sister's forehead, she created a pond of white that made Vesperan shatter into pieces – literally. Her body divided up and was sent into a black portal in the air.<br>"Violet!" Orience shouted. "If you wish for peace and to know true freedom, then come and help me!"  
>"No, don't!" Vesperan begged. She was too late.<br>Violet had made her decision. As if in trance, she flied up to Vesperan and aided Orience in completing the process. Under a lot of screaming, which got cushioned gradually as she was torn to pieces, Vesperan disappeared.  
>And then everything was quiet.<p>

"Where is she now?" Violet asked.  
>"Another world, if we are lucky", replied Orience. Violet nodded.<br>Both looked at the Fairy Queen, who rose, shaking, grasping Orience's shoulders. She looked as if she was dying. She was dying, realized Link as she saw the Fairy Queen's face.  
>"Orience", the Queen said with a hoarse voice. "Now I know what you were trying to do. Will you forgive me?"<br>Orience grabbed one of the Fairy Queen's hands.  
>"There is nothing to forgive", she said.<br>The Fairy Queen nodded absently, and then, she said:  
>"I give it to you. I give it all to you. Now that I understand your true nature again… I think you would be the one that is best suited to lead them. Will you do it? For me? I beg of you. I wish to make amends after all these years I have mistreated you."<br>Orience tilted her head.  
>"I wish I could, your Grace", replied she. "But I cannot see, and I have no idea if I can use my powers properly ever again."<br>The Fairy Queen leaned in and whispered something into Orience's ear.  
>"I see", Orience said, calmly. "Thank you."<br>And with those words, the Fairy Queen passed away in Orience's arms and dissolved into the open air.

"So, you are after the sacred sword", Orience said to Link. A few minutes had passed, and Link and Violet had helped master Gabriel to heal in the fairy fountain.  
>"Yes", Link said. "We have collected the pieces of the scroll <em>and <em>put it together. Now, where is the weapon?"  
>"Can I have a look at it?"<br>Link handed the scroll to her. She opened it and examined it thoroughly.  
>"Oh, much closer than I thought", Orience said. "Good."<br>She told Link and Violet in which direction it was, marking it out on the map. And then she gave the scroll back.  
>"You better hold on to it", she said. "And Violet, make sure you read out the spell written there. You should be able to read the language, after all."<br>"Yes", Violet nodded.  
>"It's written in an ancient language?" Link said. "Why didn't you say so? We could've had Aran or one of those library brothers translate it for us."<br>"You could, but it would've taken a lot longer time", Orience explained. "This is no usual language to be spoken. For you see; this is extremely ancient Hylian that was spoken by the first settlers in all time, and it was common for a certain type of people to use when in secret meetings. These people still use it, in fact."  
>"Is that so? What kind of people is it?"<br>"The Sheikah."  
>Violet looked at the ground. She had replied to Link's question, but she was talking to Orience.<br>"So you are one of them…" she said slowly.  
>"I am. I'm not proud of my heritage; but it is what I have and I cannot do anything about it. And neither can you, Violet."<br>"How do you know?"  
>Orience took a deep breath. She looked mildly at the undead child in front of her.<br>"You look so much like her, do you know that? Or, well at least what I can see now, like this."  
>"Who?"<br>"Your mother."  
>Violet gaped like a fish.<br>"You… knew her?"  
>"Not really. But…" Orience doubted. "No. This is a story for another time. Right now, the two of you need to hurry and fetch the sacred sword of evil's bane. I wish you all the luck you can get. Can you just promise me one thing before leaving?"<br>"And what is that?" Link asked.  
>"Return here when you have the sword. There is something… this may sound strange, but… I need to tell the sword what has happened."<p>

Stumped by Orience's words, Link and Violet set off to search for the holy sword. They had no time to ponder more about her, for the search took all their concentration.  
>They entered the forests even deeper than before, deeper than anyone probably ever had walked, they both guessed, as not even monsters seemed to be around the further into the forest the got.<br>"Are we lost?" Link wondered.  
>"No. I certainly feel that there is something nearby", Violet said. "I will try to see if I can locate it…"<br>She closed her eyes and sent out a soft sound, like if she was dowsing for the sword, or at least the place where it was hidden.  
>"Yes… she said, "I know where it is. Follow me."<br>And through bushes, in between tall trees and deeper into the woods where the vegetation grew so close to each other it was hard to even get forward, through all of that they advanced towards the sacred sword.  
>"No, sir Link, not that way", Violet warned when Link was walking a little too far from her. "If you walk even further in that direction, you may end up in the forest of legends, and that is not a good place, I can tell you. My father used to tell me tales of a mighty witch inhabiting the deepest forest in all the world, and if you entered her residence, you would immediately be shredded into pieces, for she can never invite people and enjoy their company. That is the price she has paid for her power."<br>Link agreed on that it was a really sad story and didn't go closer in that direction anymore. Instead, he followed Violet until they arrived at an old and dusty temple, in an even worse condition than Levias' temple had been.  
>"This is it", Violet said. "This is where the sword resides."<br>"So we just… enter?"  
>"Nay", replied Violet. "Can you give me the scroll, Link? I will read out the spell aloud."<br>He handed it to her and she started reading. Her voice sounded so much stronger while carefully reciting the words on the paper, like it had been enhanced somehow. Link listened to the strange, ancient words that came out of Violet's mouth.  
>"And now, sir Link", Violet said, "go and open that door."<br>Link obeyed. The door was made of stone, and heavy, but he managed to push it away a lot easier when Violet reached the end of her spell. He gasped when he saw what was on the other side.  
>The temple wasn't just a temple. It was a gigantic maze of stone.<p>

It took them a few hours to get through the maze, for it was not easy to cross. However, the real challenge begun when they reached a big wall that had an even huger stone door in it than the entrance had. It was guarded by a lone stone statue shaped like a knight. The knight lightened up and came to life when Link stepped in front of it.  
>"Huah!" Link screamed out in surprise.<br>"Really? Have you not seen worse than this before?" Violet snickered.  
>But the knight didn't care about their remarks.<br>"O, brave one, you have done well to reach this far", it said with a deep voice. "I am the guardian of the seal and the sword made by the goddess herself. On the other side of this very door it lies awaiting the right one to touch it. You are very close from getting there. Only I hinder you now, but to pass me you first have to sole a puzzle; yes, a riddle most difficult."  
>"A riddle?"<br>"So it is said."  
>"Let's hear it."<br>The stone knight recited it:

"Oh, what is the thing that is inherited by children for generations to come?  
>Oh, what is the thing that streams faster than any water can flow?<br>What is the thing that is a horrible memory, the worst spoils of war  
>What is the thing that, if you take it away, your live will cease and you cannot go on at all?<br>And what is the proof of the goddess' present earthly form?  
>The one who sacrificed all, for the hero that she mourned?"<p>

"What happens if I give you the wrong answer?"  
>"I will attack you", the knight echoed. "Reply wisely."<br>Link and Violet pondered it together.  
>"Generations to come? From parents to children, is that what it means?" Violet asked. "Flowing in streams… no…"<br>"Spoils of war… hate?"  
>"Does hate flow?"<br>"It could, figuratively. But I do not believe that is the correct answer… no, wait. I think I know."  
>Violet cleared her throat.<br>"The answer is… blood. My answer is blood, honoured knight."  
>It was silent for a minute.<br>"Too late", Link thought. "Now it's mad and will attack us."  
>But that wasn't the case at all.<br>"That is the correct answer", the knight confirmed. "You may pass."  
>And so it trusted its spear onto the ground and opened the door. Link and Violet ran through it, happy to see the sword shine in its pedestal. It was so beautiful to behold.<br>"That was brilliant, Violet!" Link complimented. "How did you know the answer?"  
>"Well… I just thought of my own past and the not so nicer parts of the history of Hyrule, and, unfortunately… blood is the worst spoils of war, and it… no, sir Link, I babble too much, I apologize, the logic must be so simple. Perhaps you understand now that I have begun explaining it."<br>So Link did.  
>"But those last two sentences? 'Proof of the goddess' present earthly form, who sacrificed it all for the hero that she mourned'… what does that mean?"<br>"I cannot answer to that, sadly", replied Violet. "But it is not worth pondering any more. Now, sir Link, draw the sword and save Hyrule!"  
>Link nodded. He walked up to the pedestal and placed his hands around the handle. With a firm grip, he pulled it up.<br>He did it. The sacred sword was in his hand. It glowed in the sunlight, and for some reason, he felt really warm holding it, and it kind of felt familiar in his hand, like he had hold it before, a long, long time ago…  
>And then, someone laughed behind him.<p>

"Bravo!" the wizard's voice said. "I did not expect you to come this far. You have done well."  
>Link turned around. Indeed, there he stood, sneering viciously at them.<br>"You!" Violet shouted and got ready to attack.  
>She was just about to reach him with her extended magical arm when the wizard grabbed his hood by the forehead. For some reason, Violet gasped and suddenly just froze in the air.<br>"So you remember this", he wizard said evilly. "Good. You should."  
>Link saw how Violet grew pale. Her ghastly figure turned transparent in another way than the one she controlled; he could actually feel her despair. Link tried to stretch his neck, so he could peek under the cloak and see what the wizard meant with "this". But his forehead was too covered. Link couldn't see a thing.<br>"I have another pleasant surprise for you", the wizard continued, "or, actually, two of them. Look on the ground you're standing on, boy."  
>Despite his unwillingness, Link's eyes were drawn to the ground. There, he saw how something dark came seeping out of the pedestal and flowed across the ground to the wizard.<br>"You have undone the seal", the wizard said, "the seal which holds the ultimate evil, an evil that is now to be reborn to destroy all of Hyrule and its inhabitants! I just need the proper container for it, and its power shall be mine. A living body is what would suit such might, don't you think?"  
>"But you would never sacrifice your own body to do such a thing!" Violet shouted. "I know you, sir, and I most certainly am sure of that you never would do such a thing!"<br>"You're right about that", sneered the wizard. "But I have the perfect solution for that."  
>"You will not use Link's body!" Violet shouted. "Over my dead body!"<br>"Which, by the way, is in my possession."  
>"What…?"<br>Violet stopped for a while, looking at the wizard unsurely, as if she didn't know to believe him or not.  
>"You are lying, you are."<br>"Most certainly, I am not."  
>She blinked. Then, she ruthlessly attacked him with fireballs.<br>"You must be!" she screamed. "So you mean to use my dead body as the container!? Not a chance! Give up, Wind mage! You will never win this war; for you are nothing but a sore nobody! Ho, are you even human!?"  
>"You have a point there, little one", he said. "I haven't been human in years. Look."<br>The hood stopped burning, and now they could see the wizard's entire face. And what a shocking sight! On his forehead he had a third, glowing red eye!  
>Link gasped. The other ones seemed to be just as shocked, and nobody dared to move as the third eye shot out a strong, blinding beam that split a pillar in half.<br>"The most prized remnant of my past", the wizard said quietly. "And my most powerful tool, as well. I admit it was quite unstable back then when you saw it first, not being able to materialize at all times, but now, it is here to stay… I have been working hard to get it back, but now… it's stable and here to stay."  
>"Impossible", Violet whispered. "You cannot have done that alone!"<br>"You're right again. I had much use of Vesperan, her kidnapped little oldie, and actually, a friend of mine. Someone you might remember."  
>Violet broadened her eyes.<br>"Who…?"  
>"Do you remember how you died? In the battle? Yes, you should've died right there and then, gone to the other side, passed away. The fact is that you didn't. I preserved your soul and body and extracted them into two different reservoirs. Your soul was in the hourglass that your very own dear mother had created, and the body in another."<br>"But why? Why me? I was never loyal to you!"  
>"Another good point. But you see, this could only be done to young people. Children." The wizard laughed maliciously. "So I'm guessing you can figure out who the other one I preserved is. He, who was my elder and much more interested pupil."<br>The shock! Violet crumbled, really, Link thought it looked like her heart split into pieces, and her body somewhat faded into nothingness.  
>"No…" she whispered. "No, you cannot mean…"<br>"Oh, but I do."  
>The wizard grinned.<br>"Say hello to your old friend Aurelius."  
>And with the last words, a tall, red-haired young man dressed in a Sheikah robe and a black cloak appeared by the wizard's side. He wasn't a ghost. The boy was fully alive, in his own body. <em>Alive<em>.  
>So this was the great evil that Violet had mentioned before, Link thought. He had to be, for he matched her description with the vile face and the flaming, red hair. Aurelius sneered cruelly at Violet.<br>"Well, well, well", he said. "So you art here, too, cripple. Indeed, master is right; that is a very powerful thing you have. But nothing that can be measured against my power."  
>"A… Aurelius", Violet stammered. "You… y-you…"<br>"Made this pact with our master centuries ago already", Aurelius continued, without even bothering to find out what Violet wished to say. "He took my body and my soul, and I agreed to be the perfect host for the ultimate power, in order to shape the world into our perfect dream. To think that you believed he would use _your_ body for such an important mission! Humph, what a disgrace."  
>The dark energy flowed into Aurelius' body as he spoke. He stretched out his arms and welcomed its presence when it melted through his skin and into his body.<br>"Ah… such a marvellous feeling", he said. "Yes, oh yes! I can feel it consume me entirely…! So wonderful… so wonderful…!"  
>And before their eyes, Aurelius was transforming. His body grew larger and his hair wilder and redder, almost as if it was set in flames. His eyes turned white and more vicious than Link had ever seen anyone else be.<br>"Ah", Aurelius said again, with a much darker voice. "Yes! YES! With this incredible power, Hyrule will be mine to rule! I shall destroy it all…!"

That voice. Link was sure he had heard it before. Suddenly, he remembered a dream he had when he slept in Beedle's hay.  
>"He's going to return", Link whispered, "and he longs to meet you…"<br>But he didn't know Aurelius. It was Violet who had known him since childhood, yet, there was something familiar about both the wizard and Aurelius now, of that Link was most certain. The question was just – how?  
>Not that it mattered now. Much dire things were at stake, things that had to come first before solving some stupid memory of a dream.<br>Link couldn't do anything. Every time he tried to move, his muscles refused, as if his position had been locked magically. Meanwhile, Aurelius just kept growing and growing. Under a malicious, loud laughter, he became a monster, a muscular and dark beast most foul.  
>The wizard stood by his side, watching his accomplishment with pride.<br>"I've been waiting for his day", he said, "I have been waiting to awaken you, so a beautiful world can take place, a new order, a whole new universe…!"  
>The wizard laughed.<br>"We will create a new world order!" he shouted happily and grew himself to the size of the beast he had created. He armed it with a giant, black sword, and together, they started to destroy Hyrule.  
>The monster swung its new weapon. A storm started to blow. Dark clouds covered the sky, and everything turned chilly. A presence of sheer evil came creeping slowly and compounded the world around, erasing all its light and life.<br>"Oh, no", Violet said. "Link, what have we done?!"

___**- **__**E**__**nd**____**of part four  
><strong>__**T**__**o be continued**__**…**_


End file.
